Lost between a fairy and leafs
by rinsegaku
Summary: The job was done... mostly, but an strange incident took them away from home, only to leave them in the middle of an unknown forest, with no idea of where 'here' is and with uncertainty of how to return to the guild. Or that's what Naruto Dragneel thinks, while Kurama knows that the longer they stay, shadows of their past will more likely find them. Time-travel alter-dimension Naru
1. A warm welcome

**(A/N): I'm baaaack! after two weeks (I think) of being practically kidnapped on the beach (and I don't mean a nice house on the beach, or in a nice city near the beach) I'm finally back in civillization (yay!) but if I have to be sincere, it wasn't that bad, until I realized that all we had for food was whatever we could fish, but meh... I'm uploading this as soon as I reached my computer, so don't get cranky those who expected an upload of "Rescuing our Future", I wished to upload this for new year's eve so this first chapter was ready to go while the third chapter of the other fic not, but I hope next week it will be up :D.**

**Oh and this is Jarvis, my new slav... emmm, assistant, say hi Jarvis**

**"You do realize that calling me like that is overused and not funny right? There's also the fact that I'm not real, and just an invention of your twisted mind, I might add"**

**Meh, it works for me... whatever, he's going to be the narrator for this fic, and deppending on what a good job he does I might think on expanding his contract to the other fic or firing him before chapter 3**

**"You can't make contracts with fictional people segaku... (sigh) why do I even bother?"**

**I ask the same myself... ON WITH THE STORY :D (Sadly I don't own Naruto nor Fairy Tail, if I did Naruto would be Rokudaime, instead of Kakashi, and Natsu would be able to use dragon force at will)**

**Update 24/03/2015: Well, I had some time and got dried of ideas, so I checked and corrected some mistakes or grammar atrocities here, at least the ones I found, not much but meh, small things can make this easier to read I think :D**

* * *

_"A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory... A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream... I want to line up the pieces... both yours, and mine"_

_Shiro Amano, Kingdom Hearts 2_

* * *

Chapter 1: A Warm Welcome

It was a wonderful day in the forest of the Land of Fire. The sun was up and warm, but the wind blew swiftly in cool and refreshing waves, almost caressing the leaves in the trees as it passed through them.

The birds were singing happily on the branches enjoying the peaceful feeling surrounding them…(sigh) it was indeed a most youthful day.

Wait, did I just?…where did that?... meh…Like I was saying, it was a great day. The keyword is 'was' because in a few more seconds a loud scream is going to ruin the almost dreamy beauty of it. Count down with me.

Five... Four... Three... Two... One...

* * *

"NANIIIIII?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY SUCKED UP?!"

* * *

Yup, there goes the birds, flying away startled, and the peaceful atmosphere is now- thanks to a certain blonde idiot, totally ruined.

Now, I guess we need to see what said blonde idiot is doing right? Oh don't mind the sexy and good looking narrator here and keep reading the rest of the story with…

\- _Cell phone starts ringing -_ Oh? Wait a sec please… - _Answers the phone -_ Yeah? I was…what do you mean by…so I can't…fire me if I keep it? Well, fine…- _ends call_ \- Humph, killjoy…

Well it seems I can't break the 4th wall otherwise I get kicked out, so I guess I'll keep with the regular standards of this kind of stories and avoid contact with you, readers, and any character here to let you enjoy the plot. Ha! My talent wasted again…well anyway, back to the idiot.

A teenager came out to a clearing, his messy and spiky sun-kissed blonde hair almost shining with the sun. He has blue cerulean eyes and three whisker-like marks on each cheek.

He is wearing a sleeveless orange trimmed dark blue waist coat, open and not tucked, exposing his bare chest showing a muscular and toned torso, not bulky but lean, built mostly for speed than brute force. He's also wearing black knee-length trousers, a thick orange wristband on his right wrist and black open-toed sandals, a white scaled scarf rolled around his neck, and a weird looking symbol tattooed on his right bicep on orange color…

Okay, whoever wrote this has no imagination, I mean…come on! It's clearly the same frigging outfit of…- _cell phone rings with a text message alert -_ Now what?! - _Reads message and moans -_ Fine! I'll shut up now! Happy? (Sigh) ahem…

By his side is a chibi (Small, cute, fangirl dream pet) fox with red-orange fur covering its body, black rings around its red silted pupil eyes, three tails swinging on his rear and two small angel-like wings sprouting from his back keeping it floating besides his companion.

* * *

"...aaaaand that prety much sums it up 'till that point Naruto, then, after those guys we were chasing managed to get you inside that carriage- I still don't know how that happened, since it was _us_ the ones chasing _them, _I had to rescue you" The chibi fox said.

"Damn... have I told you how much I hate vehicles today Kurama?"

"You've just done it."

"Good, you must never forget it" He stated sagely with a firm nod.

"Yeah, yeah. But even you must admit it's kindda lame that Natsu and you are the only dragon slayers with motion sickness in the guild."

"Shut up fuzzball, it must have something to do with how powerful, no matter what Gajeel says, we are… and Wendy is just immune to it."

"Just keep saying that to yourself, maybe one day you'll believe it."

"Hater... I'm still mad at you though. Why you had to burn up the carriage with me inside? Don't you care about me?" Naruto asked with a pout.

"Hey! You know you are immune to fire attacks, so don't give me that shit. I'm sure that if you weren't disabled you would have eaten it before it hit home."

"Point taken… well, just after you took me out of there you say a massive thing in the sky that looked like an Anima appeared and sucked up only both of us?"

"Yup! Then it threw up us here so we started free-falling. I managed to grab you before you crashed on the ground, and about half an hour later you woke up."

"Hmmm… you say it was similar to an Anima, but we destroyed the machine that created them on Edolas, and Mystogan promised to never make something like that ever again… could have he dared to break his promise?"

"Nah, he's from Fairy Tail, jus like us, you should know better than to think like that. Besides, the similarities between what brought us here and an Anima ended in the looks, even the energy of that thing felt… different… and right now we are in a forest. I don't remember any forest on Edolas. The strange thing is that I don't feel any Eternano around us either."

"True… could this be another world, again? And one without magic at that... again? We need to find a way to return home pronto! I don't have a good memory of worlds without magic... that, and Natsu-nii will get worried when he returns as an S-class mage and we are not there to greet him."

"You mean _if_ he returns as an S-class mage."

"Come on Kurama! We trained really hard the week before the trial just for Natsu to become strong enough to get the promotion… But, I still think that lightning and fire form of his is really broken. I wonder if Laxus would let me eat one of his bolts."

"Uh-huh, and then he would personally train you…" Kurama said sarcastically while rolling his eyes "But why he didn't teamed up with you then? I mean, I don't have anything against Happy, but besides flying I don't see how much help he can give Natsu."

"If we both have teamed up for the trial there wouldn't have been much challenge, don't you think? We are quite overkill together, and I can only imagine the old man and Gildarts stopping us then. But chances of us fighting any of them were as low as Erza's temper."

"Point taken."

"Besides, this is a way to test ourselves. If we are strong enough to make S-class without the help of the other, then we will be able to find Igneel in no time!" he beamed at the floating fox, making said furry animal roll his eyes once more in mock annoyment.

"That's the dragon twins for you, no way but the hard one… well, can you use magic? If this is like Edolas then only I will be able to, and that can make our return quite… hard."

"True." Nodded Naruto "We could use magic there only after Mystogan gave us those weird pills… guess there is only one way to try it."

He inhaled deeply and puffed his cheeks while forming a trumpet with his hands in front of his mouth.

_"Karyuu no_…"

Seeing this, Kurama's eyes widened at the same time he tried to stop him, but he reacted too late.

"… _Hooko_!"

The blonde breathed out, and a magic seal appeared in front of his hands, making the breath turn into a big stream of fire coming out, burning everything on it's wake… and starting a forest fire.

"Naruto, you baka…" Kurama said while face…pawing? "You had to use _that_ in the middle of a forest, right?"

"Hehehe…sorry?" He answered while scratching the back of his head and grinning sheepishly. Only then he noticed that the fire was spreading. Fast.

"I suggest we make our escape now, before someone sees us and blame us for this."

"I second that!" Kurama shouted already half way out of the clearing.

"Oi! Wait for me!" Shouted Naruto running after his friend until they both disappeared from eyesight.

Unknown to them, a silhouette shot out of a nearby tree branch after spying their conversation and darted to a village not too far from there, a shimmer of light through the trees revealed silver colored hair.

* * *

Tsunade Senju was not having a nice day. The Godaime Hokage was anchored to her desk with a shitload of paperwork, and the council had just had a meeting sometime earlier to decide who would be the new advisors.

Well, more like only be informed of their names. She had already decided who they would be, and there was no way in hell she would let that damned council overrule her again, she'd had enough of that the first time.

Amongst her _beloved_ councelors were Koharu Utatane and Homura Mikotado… two old geezers that would fit better in a museum than in the council, unable see the world on the new light that time brought in with its pass.

They were the old advisors and teammates of her sensei, the dead Sandaime Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.

True, during their own time their advice would have been considered wise, with more than enough experience granted by the wars they lived through backing their position, besides of being tutored by the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages themselves, along with their teammate Danzo Shimura.

On top of that they had a close relation with the dead Sandaime, but there was not much they could offer on this time.

They were far past their prime to be in active force, and their knowledge was better suited to education of the new genin more than ruling a village.

The funny thing was that, despite their influential position, they were the easier ones to remove from the council.

Using loopholes on the laws of the village and taking on count their age, it was easy to convince them to leave with a promise of retirement with honors, a generous monthly pension as a token of gratitude for their long service to the village, and a place in the academy that allowed them to tutor the teachers with topics that they deemed worthy of reviewing in the annual academy curriculum.

Well, it was either that or be kicked out to a retirement house with just an honorific mention for their service to the village, so there was no much choice for them.

Even if the second option was really appealing to Tsunade, Shikamaru 'advised' that it would bring more benefits to their goals to let them think they still got an important position.

It was Danzo the one who brought them the most trouble.

At the beginning, it was easy to gather evidence against him and ROOT because, unlike the last time, they knew exactly what and where to look for information, but the old war hawk was no fool and quickly noticed the leaks of information about his secret division.

He started taking even more cautions around him to avoid being under the spotlight. It took nearly two years to finally get enough evidence to confront him without worries of the plan backfiring on them in political fields.

There always came a loud curse along with the memory when Tsunade thought about the fight he forced them into inside one of his secret hideouts, the one under the Hokage monument to be exact, when they made their move to arrest him, Sasuke personally asking to be the one to pluck out the stolen eyes of his fallen clan, specially the one of his uncle Shisui, but it was thanks to the sacrifice of that same eye that Danzo managed to escape along with a little group of his most loyal followers, aka brainwashed ROOT operatives.

Everyone - inside their little group - remembered that it was Sasuke who took the guy out of the game the first time, thankfully before the war exploded. With him alive she feared the outcome would have been worse than it was, but this time said boy only had 15 years at that point, and even with the help of the Eternal Magenkyo (no clue as to how the eye evolved despite not having the transplant now) and a quite wide repertoire of jutsus, they could only get him so far with the lack of the stamina and reserves he had years ago.

Or years ahead should it be?

The intervention of every one of their little group was necessary to take care of Danzo and his little circus, but they somehow managed to make him flee without making him suspicious about their condition, the war hawk promising to return one day to make sure that Konoha would get it's true place among the other villages.

Yeah sure, and she would let Jiraya fight the Six Paths of Pain alone again.

But even if the memory was an unpleasant one, it was not the reason of her current depressed state.

It was the date itself what provoked her bad mood.

When they returned to this part of their timelines after their little experiment with the Hiraishin seal array, they found out that they arrived just when Naruto went after Sasuke on the retrieval mission fiasco during the original timeline.

True, they all knew that Naruto had bought time for them stalling Madara just enough for the seal to work, then jumping in, not after being seriously injured by said Uchiha, the injury managing to disrupt his chakra enough to provoke an unpleasant side effect from the jutsu on him.

The painful screams were more than enough proof of that.

Still, all of them held hopes of greeting both Naruto and Sasuke when they felt the faint trail of Chakra reaching the village doors from a distance along with Kakashi.

Sadly only one boy returned this time again, one with black instead of blonde hair.

Yesterday would have ended the time that Jiraya took to train said blonde, and today she should have already heard Naruto screaming at top of his lungs that he was finally back at the village after a 3 year long training mission.

For the rest of the world, oblivious of the possible fate of the blonde, it was just that she was extra pissed off by the mountains of paperwork she had to endure on a daily basis.

Search parties were sent every week, leaded by each one of the travelers, she included, to look for the blonde idiot that made possible for them this second chance, despite what he had to endure those last weeks.

Even as Hokage she would not let pass a chance to look for her little brother, but so far no sign of him appearing showed to them, and slowly hope started to leave her as the years passed by… she would never stop searching, but sometimes she wondered if she would see the gaki ever again.

"Tsunade-sama" the woman stretched her arm to punch whoever caught her unaware, and instantly a log was turned into splinters by the punch.

Once she regained her composure, she noticed a pale Kakashi staring her from a corner of the office.

"If it's not good news about the search party for Naruto you commanded today, Kakashi, better get out of my sight. I'm not in the mood to have small chat… at least not today."

Remembering why he was here, and silently thanking his foresight in hiding that log in the office for situations like this one, Kakashi straightened himself and stepped to the desk to give his report.

"I found him Tsunade–sama." he said with an eye smile.

"I told you that if it wasn't about…" she stopped herself from cracking her knuckles when the words finally registered on her mind.

It must be stated that 'registering' means not the same as 'understanding'.

"Huh?"

Kakashi resisted the urge to facepalm. True, she is the strongest kunoichi and best medic-nin in the entire elemental nations, capable of being scary as hell when she wishes to, but right now she looked as clueless as a fresh genin in the middle of a battlefield.

"I said that I finally found Naruto, he-"

* * *

"TELL ME NOW WHERE THE HELL IS HE!" the scream could be heard all around Konoha and in the near forests.

This made 6 people and a small fox turn their heads towards the source. Five of them immediately recognized what it meant and ran as fast as they could towards the Hokage tower.

The blonde teenager running in the forest away from a massive fire just shrugged it as his imagination and kept running, while the small fox, Kurama, stopped dead on his tracks for a second, floating on the spot.

"Was that…?"

He was forcefully cut off from his musing by a hand pulling him farther away from the raging fire, Naruto yelling at him to fly faster, clearly not noticing that he was now dragging him.

Seeing it didn't mattered at the moment, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

* * *

Kakashi just sighed and waited for everyone else to arrive, after calming Tsunade of course... which caused him to unseal at least half a dozen of logs he had stored in scrolls to aid in emergencies during battles, or situations like this one.

He should consider suggesting that sealed logs become part of the standard Konoha nin gear when in missions away from the forests of Hi no Kuni.

Anyway, in less than a minute 5 other people entered the office, each one voicing their own questions quite loudly, trying to make their own sound louder than the others.

He just hoped to discuss this matter privately with Tsunade and keep it a secret from the others until they could say with certainty what that weird energy Naruto was emanating was. It felt really similar to chakra, but there was also something else there… and that weird technique he used to set the forest on fire, did he called it magic?

And, there was also the matter of the people he overheard him talking about, quite fondly he noticed, during his conversation with that small fox… that had three tails, and looked really similar to the giant fox that attacked the village so many years ago, and was supposedly sealed inside the boy. Where had he been all this time? Who were those people he was talking about? And why was that fox so damn cute?!

"KAKASHI!"

The shout from Tsunade woke him up from his inner debate, only to face said woman glaring at him and releasing enough Killer intent to make even Orochimaru shiver.

"Where. Did. You. Find. Him."

"I…ehh…THE FOREST!" Kakashi shouted frantically under the effect of the heavy dose of killing intent that was directed towards him, not only from Tsunade, but from every person present there, all clearly annoyed from being forced to wait for information about Naruto.

Once the pressure lifted enough to let the Cyclops breath normally again, he explained further.

"I found him in the forest outside of the village, northeast from the gates, but he escaped before I could contact him... you can't miss him, you should be blind to not see the fire that he caused with this strange fire technique he used... weird it can't be seen from-"

"Fire?" Asked Sasuke, getting the attention of everyone in the room. "Since when he dobe know how to use Katon release? Last time I checked he was very proficient with Fuuton, but far from capable with other elements."

"I'm not sure that was an elemental release at all Sasuke, the energy he used on it was different, and there was also this weird seal that materialized out of nowhere-"

"Kakashi, are you sure this is Naruto?" Tsunade asked in a serious tone, regaining the attention of all the present there.

"Positively, all the physical treats are still there. The hair, the eyes, even the whisker marks on his cheeks… he still is a carbon copy of Minato-sensei. But that fire I told you about was quite big, no doubt he will have big problems once he is back for causing it."

He then smiled and spoke in a more casual and lazy tone "He stills does things before even thinking about it…guess that never will change huh?"

Everyone chuckled at this, remembering how Naruto was before war times, and sometimes even during it, not at all worried that there was a raging fire burning up the forest arround their village.

"We can discuss how an idiot he is once you bring him back, first take care of the fire. We now know he is in the near forest and we can have Hinata search him more efficiently. Level the terrain so I can send Tenzo later to regrow it, or leave it as a clearing depending on the situation and size it is found in, then don't return unless you bring the gaki back."

"If that's really him, I don't think he will need an escort to return here…troublesome blonde." Shikamaru mumbled showing extreme dislike at the idea of going through the hassle of bringing Naruto back to the village, but those who knew him well (say, the other 6 in the room) could tell that he was relieved that finally, after so many years, their friend would return.

Only after Tsunade dismissed the group and sent Kakashi elsewhere, she allowed herself to drop the business face, and let a smile draw itself in her lips.

This would mean more paperwork than she would be comfortable with once Naruto was finally back, for him to be reinstated as a citizen and a ninja of Konoha, but for the first (and only) time in her life she would gladly deal with it, only if it meant that her little brother would finally be home again.

They had a lot to make up with him, but she was sure he would forgive them with time, and then everything would be fine once again.

Shizune entered the room a little later, answering her calling with a notepad on hand.

"Go to the village and bring here the rest of Naruto's graduation class, as well as Jiraya, Teuchi and Ayame Ichikaru, Iruka and I guess Konohamaru and Inari might also wish to be here. Every one you consider would be glad to hear that Naruto has finally returned."

* * *

Naruto is not a prideful person (snort) but he always praised himself for the small feats he achieved during his life.

One of them was that he considered himself a quite intelligent guy, or at least more than his older brother, Natsu, and that, unlike him, he would think and analyze his would be opponent before engaging a battle.

Well, at least he would do that most of the time…

Okay, okay, he would at least _try_ to restrain himself enough time to ask for a friendly fight with whoever he deemed strong enough to face him.

But, hey! At least he would ask, that was better than what Natsu does, jumping to the guy with a flaming punch ready to strike.

Why that small parenthesis, you may ask? After escaping for a while, Naruto's enhanced sence of smell caught a weird scent, one that was new to him, no doubt about it, but somehow it also felt… homey?

He followed the trail of the scent back to the still spreading fire out of curiosity, very well aware that there was no way he would catch a smell like that one in a foreign place like this one, but when he saw what the people in the area the scent lead him to were doing... well, he started bouncing in his spot, all giddy and excited, barely managing to restrain himself from engaging all of the people there in a fight at the same time.

First, a girl with long blue hair and weird eyes started a serie of weird signs with her hands, and the next moment a _huge _dragon made of water appeared out of nowhere and crashed in the middle of the fire with a thunderous roar, extinguishing the flames almost totally.

Then, another girl with pink hair (huh? Is Natsu a girl in this place?) did another chain of those weird signs and slammed her palm on the ground. Not a second later, the whole part of the forest that was still on fire and affected by the force of the attack of that water dragon shifted and covered itself on more earth, leaving only a flat terrain with no signs of destruction.

The only coherent explanation he found for that last demonstration was that, whatever world this one was, Juura of Lamia Scale was a girl with pink hair here.

_'If those two girls could do that, then what would the other guys be able to do? Wait, that girl summoned a dragon made of water out of nowhere… could she also be a dragon slayer? Why she don't smell like dragons then? Is she like Laxus and has a lacrima on her? Could she… could she know... maybe Igneel is in this world?'_

The train of thoughts was different on Kurama's head.

_'Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, Lee and Sakura… I knew this was a familiar place, and that scream from before, no doubt that was Tsunade… this is bad. If we are here now, then that means… no… that can't be! We have a life in Earthland already! Friends, family…he can't lose that only to pass through hell again here. We must keep away from them and find some way to return home.'_

The suggestion to leave the place died before it even left the fox's lips, because when he turned to his side Naruto was gone, and after looking arround for him with his head he couldn't help but facepaw and fly towards him, thinking on what to do now.

* * *

"What was that? It was sooo cool! Are you a water mage like Juvia? Are you a dragon slayer too? Where is your dragon? Why don't you smell like dragons? Do you have a lacrima on you like Laxus? Do you know where Igneel is? Fight me!"

Hinata did not understood what the hell happened. One second she was using a Suiryuudan to extinguish the forest fire, and the next one this weird looking guy with blonde spiky hair was… wait, blonde spiky hair?

"Naruto, let them be… I bet she didn't understood a word of what you said, well, besides from you demanding a fight I guess… Up to this day I can't figure out how you manage to say so much in just one breath." The flying fox said while shaking his head, a paw still on his face, and sighing. "And that is not the right way to ask for a spar, can't you learn something from Erza?"

"Erza is scary… and asking/demanding is still better than jumping straight over with a flaming punch or kick like Natsu-nii does." Naruto answered, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring in mock annoyance at the small fox.

"Point taken."

"Besides, you also saw how she summoned that water dragon!" he said, now brimming with exitement (the mood swings of this lad are scary), while pointing a finger to Hinata, making her blush a bit.

"That was soooooo cool!" he said happily with glitter around his face and stars on his eyes "Maybe she knows where Igneel is."

"I highly doubt it, kit… better be going now, we still need to find a way to return home and we don't have even the slightest idea of where we are now."

"Oh yeah, true… sorry 'bout the fire." He said to Hinata's group while scratching the back of his head sheepishly, an action that everyone on that group missed greatly.

"I hope your… errr… forest grows up again, bye." He finished, shooting his trademark foxy grin and waving a hand goodbye to them, before turning around and start walking into the forest talking casually with Kurama.

"Oi dobe, where are you going? Tsunade and Kakashi are waiting for you on the village."

Naruto stopped on the spot, his casual chat with Kurama interrupted by a twitch on his eye.

"What did you just called me?"

Sasuke smirked, not having Naruto arround to mess with for 4 long years cut down much of the amusement he found inside the village - not that the blonde was only a source of entertainment for him, but he did liked to annoy him, so, the moment he heard the irked tone on the blonde's voice a sence of familiarity washed over him, and he couldn't help the urge to annoy his friend/rival more, for old time's sake.

"Just what you heard, _usuratonkachi_."

_'Ohhh, this guy's just begging to have his ass kicked' _Naruto thought as he turned arround to face the raven-haired teen smirking at him, glare already in place, but also smirking in anticipation for how much he was going to enjoy punching the highlights out of him.

There are few things that could really get one on Naruto's bad side, his usual bicker and fights with Gajeel, Gray, or whoever who's turn was, in the guild were just some… kind of game, you could say.

But, being called names was something he would answer with a flaming punch to the face... most of the times.

He would let the names pass with the members of the guild, they were family after all, and he knew they meant no harm with it, and he would sometimes let it go during fights, him being used to apply that tactic a lot to get on his opponet's nerves and make him lose his focus.

But for a guy he never saw before, least even talk to, let pass calling him like that without apparent reason, just like they were long time friends? Like hell he would.

Gathering enough magic power to make his point clear with only one strike, he focused it on his fist, igniting it with flames, already stretching it in a punch motion as he jumped towards the still smirking guy, full intent on wiping the smile of his face.

_"Karyuu no Tekken!"_

Everybody went on high alert when they felt the energy spike in Naruto, noticint that it wasn't chakra… or at least not totally. A second later he was turning to Sasuke with a flame-engulfed fist, ready in a punching motion.

The heat on the fist could be felt even at the distance they got between them and Naruto, and it was not even _that_ close.

No one dared to move when they saw the punch stretch in Sasuke's direction, too shocked by what was happening… Naruto attacking Sasuke, clearly meaning harm?

The punch being inches away from Sasuke's face made everyone cringe and close their eyes, already expecting the sick crunch sound of bone being broken that came the next moment, and kept them that way fearing the image of a heavily injured Uchiha.

The few seconds their eyes were shut felt like hours, and they only opened them when the voice of a clearly freaked out Sasuke was heard.

"N-Naruto? W-why t-the hell d-did you just a-attacked me?!"

The sight that greeted them was intimidating, Naruto standing there with dangerously narrowed eyes, arm still stretched.

He was, obviously, more than annoyed.

His still flame engulfed fist stopped by an already fading purple rib cage made of chakra. It was broken… nay, it was virtually reduced to splinters, and Sasuke was wide eyed, eternal Magenkyo active, staring at Naruto with clear surprise, and a bit of fear.

Smirk widening at the reaction he got, he was about to answer with another punch, but was stopped by Kurama's voice shouting at him.

"You are overreacting Naruto! Calm down and think about our situation, and remember Edolas… maybe it's just some misunderstanding!"

Naruto thought about that for a second, Edolas… they were pulled into that world by an Anima because of their magic, but what did that had to do with… of course!

His eyes widened in realization, and he felt like banging his head on a tree for being such an idiot. Surely there was another Naruto in this world and this guys were his friends, so the bastard was only joking with him, just like the people back in the guild.

Looking guilty to a side, he deactivated his magic, making his eyes return to their usual shape, and retreated his arm, which now was even closer to the black haired guy than the previous one, and apologized.

"I'm sorry, I let my emotions get the best of me, it's just… I don't like being called names, it brings back some… memories I would like to forget."

"No kidding?" Sasuke asked sarcastically while nursing a bruise on his cheek. Even if the fist didn't hit, the force behind it was strong enough to make the air act like a weaker extension of it.

"Come on Naruto, Tsunade is going to punch us all the way to Suna if we make her wait even more."

"Eeeemmmm, weeeelllll, you see… I am not exactly who you think who I am." He said awkwardly while scratching the back of his head.

"Stop joking you baka, we need to get you back to the village. You know it's around the time that Akatsuki will make their move to Suna." Sakura said exasperatedly.

What was Naruto playing at? First he disappears for 4 years, and then when he decides to return he appears dressed weirdly and with a chibi kyuubi by his side, acting like this is the first time he ever saw them? If this was some kind of prank, then she didn't find it funny.

"Well… I'm Naruto, but not your Naruto… it's a weird situation ya' know?" He then turned to the small fox "Do I tell them?"

"Do it, it can clear all this mess, then we can return to look for a way to get back home, the old man will skin me alive if he finds out, even if it's not my fault… you will not tell him, will you?"

Naruto just grinned evilly and turned to the confused group in front of him.

"Were to start?" he asked himself while tapping his chin with a finger thoughtfully, a habit he had adopted from Mira.

"I know! I'll tell you about Edolas and from then I'll explain about my world!."

The ones that weren't recovering from the almost heart attack just looked at him weirdly, but he ignored them and started to explain about the alter dimensions and counterparts on each world, then he started to speak about his world, Earthland, and how magic is the energy used there.

Kurama played along with it, satisfied with how they seemed to be believing them… not that it was hard to do so in a world where you could spit lava from your mouth, or have eyes with time-space twisting abilities, and even summon mountain-sized animals capable of fighting _and_ speaking… just a bit more and they would be out of this.

"… and that's pretty much it. What's my name… well, the name of the other me here?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." Hinata answered sorrowfully, her hopes of her blonde... _friend _finally returning being higher than ever after Kakashi's report earlier that day, but even if the sight before her eyes was the one of Naruto, she knew that this guy couldn't be her_... their_ Naruto, it was imposible for the kind and friendly blonde they knew to extract revenge in such a painful way, denying every bond between them and acting as if never knowing them before.

They _had_ messed up horribly with him, but it was hard to think of Naruto Uzumaki acting like that towards his friends.

That, and the demonstration they had of this _magic_ not too long ago was enough to make things clear for them, albeit a little too... forceful.

"See? My name is Naruto Dragneel. Hmmm... thinking about it... It would be nice to meet the Naruto from here, it was fun to meet Edo-Natsu and Edo-Gray." He said with a smirk, remembering how different those two were from the ones he knew.

How would the Naruto from this world would be?

"I'm sorry to inform you, friend, that our Naruto went MIA about 4 years ago in a mission. We have been searching for him all this time but we haven't found any trace of him." Lee said, in a very out of character melancholic voice.

"So when somebody spotted me..." the blonde said with furrowed eyebrows "... you thought Uzumaki had returned, right?"

Everyone looked at him curiously at how he called their Naruto.

"What? I'm also called Naruto, and this can get you lot confused, at least it is a little confusing for me. You can call me Dragneel if you don't want to confuse us again."

"Troublesome blondes…" the Nara muttered with a tired sigh "but yeah, we thought you were Uzumaki." Even if his tone was his usual tired and lazy one, he was clearly sad that his friend was still missing.

Silence fell upon the group after that, the shinobi trying to cope with the fact that their hopes of meeting their blonde friend were, once again, crushed, while the mage mulled over the new information that had been relied to him, and the small fox floating next to the Dragon Slayer waiting impatiently for the moment when they would finally leave.

"I know!" Naruto shouted after some time, making everyone jump in surprise at the sudden interruption of their musing.

Also, they could swear that a flame lit up over his head, like signaling he got an idea.

"I can help you find Uzumaki, and in exchange you help us find a way to return to Earthland, what do you say?"

Seeing no reason to not accept, and also striving for any kind of resemblance of their friend, Hinata and Sakura were about to accept at the moment, but Shikamaru opened his mouth before them, a frown of his face.

"Thanks for offering your help, but before accepting can I discuss this with my teammates?"

"Sure, take your time." Naruto said, walking to a side with Kurama.

"Do you think this is a good idea, Naruto?" Asked the fox coolly, making a great effort at keeping his rising panic under control.

"Of course Kurama, this way I get to meet my counterpart here, and also we get extra help at finding a way to return back home, it's a win-win." he said, flashing a wide grin.

Kurama thought about it for a while, seeing it from that perspective. It was true, that old pervert Jiraya could make something Fuuinjutsu-related to store some Eternano from Naruto, and then they could somehow adapt and use it, along with Kakashi's Kamui, to open a rift between dimensions and allow them to go back to Earthland.

In theory it sounded plausible, and if not then they could think of something like that. He had forgotten ninjas were crafty like that, they would only need to keep away from Doujutsus, or really skilled sensors, and they could pass through this mess without making a fuzz of it.

"I hope you're right kit, I hope-"

"Naruto-kun!"

The sound of the voice, the desperate and hopeful tone of it froze the fox on the spot, a cold shiver running down his spine, a feeling he was _not_ used to feel, at least not for himself, but for his blonde kit...

The voice was from Hinata, and he would gamble Igneel's left wing that the Hyuuga had her Byakugan active, and, by extention, the Uchiha.

Busted.

Kurama was already grabbing Naruto's waist coat to pull him out of there flying, when he noticed the thin tendril of shadow extending from a certain pineaple-haired shinobi on the oposing group.

"Shit! Naruto, we need to leave, now!"

"Why? Aren't we going to help them?"

"_Kage mane no jutsu_, success."

Just noticing what happened, Naruto struggled against the hold, together with Kurama, but both found that in their current situation there was little they could do.

"Why the hell are you using magic! I thought we had a deal!"

"So, I was right after all huh, Kyuubi? Troublesome demon…"

"Damn you Nara, damn you and that _stupid_ genius brain of yours!"

Naruto didn't heard anything else from that conversation, he didn't cared after all. All that echoed on his mind was that simple last word… demon.

A flash of memory went through his head at that moment, and his fists clenched on restrained fury as names he remembered being called before echoed again and again in his head… _monster_ they whispered, _demon brat_, _why won't you die?_

"You are just like _them_... those voices from before Kurama, Igneel and Natsu-nii…" _demon_… even if his voice was slow and hard, they all could feel the sorrow and pain that filled every word "I changed my mind… we don't need your help."

"P-please Naruto-kun, i-it's not like-" Hinata pleaded, but was cut shut by a sudden outburst of Naruto.

"SHUT UP!" Naruto screamed in rage and fire exploded around him, the pressure generated by the Chakra filled Eternano was simply too much for Shikamaru to keep the jutsu active, so after some more struggle he lifted it, allowing Naruto to once again move freely.

Said blonde just turned to his friend and said on a cold voice "We are leaving Kurama."

The fox was fast behind him, trying to calm him down, making him remember that he should not let _those fools_ get the best of him, and that he should focus on other things, like finding a way to return back to their home, and finding something to take back with them, as some kind of memento from being the only ones from fairy Tail being here.

And much to his relief, it was working as the frown slowly disappeared, and even a small smile appeared, but then a green blur had to appea in front of them, and just like that Naruto's bad mood was back with a vengeance.

"Yosh! Naruto-kun, your flames of youth burn brightly, but we need to-"

_"Karyuu no Enchuu!"_ And with a wet crunch where the flame-propelled punch hit, Lee was launched into the forest, and Naruto kept distancing himself from the shocked group.

If someone ever told Sasuke what have just happened, he would have laughed and dismissed the clearly delusional man. But he had just seen Naruto, the happy-go-lucky blonde dobe, orange and ramen lover... the one who would die (and actually died, or so they thought) for the safety of his friends, hurt Lee willingly, and then step away without showing care about what just happened.

There's no doubt about it, this _is_ Naruto Uzumaki, the feel of his chakra, and the presence of a chakra network to begin with, is enough evidence already, he knew it thanks to his Sharingan, and Hinata's Byakugan only confirmed it.

But there was a weird mass of energy in the place where the seal was before, its feeling was similar to the senjutsu energy... he may not able to use it, but he was familiar to the feel of nature chakra, and according to what he saw, this weird energy combined with Naruto's chakra continuously without depleting.

Just where had he been all this years, and what could have happened to make him _believe _that he belonged somewhere else? The dobe's home _is_ Konoha, among them, their freinds, and he would not let him go away this time, he would bring him back home, even if he had to break every bone in his body.

He would know what happened to his friend during this 4 years.

"You are not going anywhere dobe, we are taking you back home and clearing up all this mess" Sasuke stated coldly, already blocking his path, but at a safe distance from him and any other of those dangerous punches.

Naruto started to shake in anger, blue slitted eyes that would have maimed the raven haired guy in front of them if they could narrowed dangerously as his mouth morphed into a scowl.

"shut up… Shut Up!... SHUT UP!" and building his magic he inhaled deeply and blew out a huge twister of fire directly to him.

_"Karyuu no Hooko!"_

Sasuke felt the energy building in Naruto's lungs before he released the attack, so guessing what could come out he flashed through hand seals and blew his own sphere of fire at the same time.

_"Gokakyuu no jutsu!"_

For a moment both fire attacks clashed and fought for supremacy, but the dragon's fire proved to be stronger and consumed Sasuke's jutsu, increasing its size and closing in to Sasuke, who thinking quickly shunshined close to Naruto, Sharingan active and spinning into the Eternal Magenkyo once again.

Both locked eyes for a second, while the massive ball of fire was stopped by a combined effort of Sakura and Hinata with an earth wall and another Suiryuudan.

That second of eye contact was enough for Sasuke to cast a genjutsu on Naruto and disable him, just in time to avoid most of the damage from another flaming punch directed to him, which still managed to launch him into a tree with enough force to dent it.

Even if it wasn't a full hit, the strength behind it managed to force the wind around into some kind of ghost punch, much like the hits of his Gamma-ken enhanced with senjutsu… it hurt.

Coughing some blood he rose to his knees and panted there, waiting for someone to heal him. He shivered at the idea of receiving that punch on full force.

Hinata quickly run to heal him while Sakura rushed to where Lee was, her superior medical knowledge would be necessary to heal him, and Shikamaru stayed behind in case Naruto woke up and attacked again, or the fox tried something, so he was on guard when Kurama floated to where Naruto laid unconscious on the ground. The small fox then turned with a glare to Sasuke.

"What did you do to Naruto?"

"It's a simple illusion… the true question here is, what you did to the dobe… _Kyuubi_" but before the fox could say something Hinata spoke.

"Don't try to deny it, this _is_ Naruto-kun… the feeling of his chakra is unique, and he _has_ chakra pathways, that simple fact throws out the lie of you being from other world" She said with her Byakugan active.

Kurama sighed in defeat and grabbed Naruto by the collar of his waist coat after checking that the illusion was a simple one indeed, and that it would not trigger some unpleasant… reaction with his memories, and started to lift him.

"Where do you think you are going?" Shikamaru asked, starting with the hand seals for another Kagemane, and Kurama sighed once again. This would be a loooooong day for both of them.

"Get the green one back and meet me in that clearing, then we go straight to Tsunade's office without attracting attention to ourselves, I won't escape… it's useless now. Once we are inside her office I will explain what happened, so we can finally leave to find a way back home."

"But Naruto-kun is finally back home now!" Hinata cried, she had been waiting too long for her crush to return, and she would not let him leave again.

"Like I said, I will explain once we are on the old hag's office" and then he flew along with Naruto to the shadow of a nearby tree to wait for the group to get together, and so they did.

After being healed enough to leave (according to Sakura Lee only had cracked ribs, his strong constitution protected him from getting them totally broken and having internal damage) they departed to the Hokage tower, where, according to Kyuubi, they would find out what happened to the blonde idiot that gave them a second chance to save their world.

* * *

**Spell/Jutsu guide**

_Karyuu no Hooko - _Fire dragon's breath.

_Karyuu no Tekken - _Fire dragon's iron fist.

_Karyuu no Enchu - _Fire dragon's elbow.

_Gokakyuu no jutsu - _Grand fireball technique.

_Kagemane no jutsu - _Shadow imitation technique.


	2. Naruto Dragneel Uzumaki

**(A/N): Finally! new chapter of this fanfic, which even if didn't got any review got quite the acceptance, it seems with every fanfic I start, the quality or something improves and more and more people like them more... eventually, but anyway, back to the current fic weeellll... writer's block can be a bitch, but once you find what you were looking for the ideas just flood you and even more can appear, and I don't really know what is worse, if having no ideas or having so many that you simply don't know what are you writing anymore... in another note, in this chapter Jarvis will have an entire section for himself... he can really get annoying when he starts to complain**

**"Hey! I din't-"**

**Yeah, you did, now shut up! Hope you like this new chapter as much as I suffered to write it, a lot, more things will be explained and the introduction of Naruto to the ninja life will start, hope to be able to upload sooner than this time... also please give "rescuing our future" a try, I like where that fanfic can go but without support it's kindda hard to go on, it's only two chapters so far too so it's not that hard to catch up ok? Third chapter for both comming up really soon (I hope) but enough of that... follow, favorite and etc if you like, but specially REVIEW! please? ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**(Disclaimer: yaddayadda don't own Naruto nor Fairy Tail, yaddayaddda I'm poor)**

**Update 31/03/2015: Second chapter totally revisited and corrected to make it more easy to read. Gotten rid of unnecesary long chapters and added tidbits of info to make the story have more sence and maybe be a bit more funny in some places, Also, the poll is up in my profle, so go check it out, hope you like it :D **

* * *

_"If you can't remember something, it's like it never happened. Likewise, if something never happened, you can't remember it, and your memory might lie to you"_

_Cheshire cat, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories_

* * *

Chapter 2: Naruto Dragneel Uzumaki

"That should do it" Kurama said, cleaning some sweat from his forehead "The genjutsu the Uchiha brat casted is gone, together with the memory of that last tantrum Nara caused by trying to play smart, and making everything go south."

"You're not exactly an innocent lamb, _Kyuubi_" The lazy genius sneered.

"I may not, but I _do_ care for the kit, unlike _others_... anyone would have, _at least_, try to spy on us in a more subtle way, we were going to come here with you either way if you said yes to Naruto's proposal."

"I was trying to do so when I asked Hinata to use her Byakugan, even if your story had quite consistency, there was something odd about it... I can't really blame her though, for that slip. Heck, even I was surprised to find out this _is_ Naruto, and I was the one doubting your cover." Then he sighed and started to massage his temples.

"Look, I know this was not the best aproach, but after four years without news about him, some of us started to think that maybe he could have... that he would never return after we used that seal, so seeing a potential chance of him finally returning I-I... I didn't knew what else to do."

Kurama nodded slowly, he could understand that explanation.

Of course it didn't excuse him for what he did.

"Weird, it has been eleven years for us... Apparently Earthland has a different time-span than the Elemental Nations…"

"Eleven years? What-"

"You done fighting each other? Beacuse if you haven't noticed, I still don't have the slightest idea of what's going on here. Being Hokage and not knowing what's happening inside _my_ _own damned office _doesn't add. Start. Explaining."

The group entered her office earlier that day, through the window _and_ without permision, along with an unconcious and weirdly dressed Naruto... being carried by a _much_ smaller and cuter version of what she suppose is the Kyuubi.

_Out of the seal_ _and flying. _

While she recovered from the shock of seeing - even if it now resembled a small forest critter, the nightmarish demon out of Naruto, Sasuke activated all the privacy seals on the room, only telling her to wait until the fox was done with whatever he was going to do to Naruto to finally get any explanation.

It has been almost an hour since then.

"Look fox, I've been patiently waiting for more than enough time- don't give me that look, I don't give a flying fuck for who you are, you could be the Yondaime reincarnated for all that I care right now. I've waited for four long years to see that mop of blonde hair on the floor again and know what happened the day we used that damned seal from his own lips, so you better wake the gaki up and both start explaining what the _hell_ happened that day, or I swear Kumo will recieve another Bijuu via punch-delivery right now."

Then she flopped down on her chair again, a long sigh escaping her lips as she rubbed her eyes with two fingers, but when she spoke again, even if her voice still held the same annoyance she expressed on her previous rant, fondness poked it's head out too.

"The fastest that is done, the sooner I can make him sign the papers stating that he was not dead and reinstate him as a ninja of the village. This time he _is_ going to take this damned hat, the Uchiha brat proved not... _being able_ to handle very well the paperwork."

Said Uchiha had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.

He remembered all too well the day Tsunade entered the Hokage office with a satisfied grin, along with enough paperwork to cover said office, floor to roof, with it.

He stoically gave her the finger before reducing the piles of paper, along with the office, to ashes.

Back in the present, and out of the raven's memories, Kurama sighed sadly hearing that.

* * *

When Tsunade stepped down from her position, on their previous timeline of course, the names of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were immediately proposed for the spot.

Uzumaki was a given, if not thanks to his impressive feats during the raging war, then for being the 'Hero of Konoha', much to his pride and embarrassment.

It was the mention of the last Uchiha what came as a surprise for everyone, including the raven himself, specially when the reason for said mention was because of his 'level head and claimed loyalty to Konoha.'

Heh, they knew it was actually 'claimed loyalty to Naruto'... Kami help them if they ever managed to get in Naruto's bad side.

Besides that, their sides were kind of switched inside the village.

It was not an open dislike for the last Uchiha, like it had been once for Naruto, or great pampering and ceremony for the blonde, like it had been once for Sasuke, but it was obvious who was more liked from the two now.

While the greetings to Naruto were with warm smiles, for Sasuke it was with curt nods. While kids were happy to be near their hero asking questions and demanding games of ninja, parents tried their best to keep their sons away from the raven, and so many other subtle examples like those.

Sasuke was not openly misstreated inside the walls of the village, but it was like people walking on thin ice arround him, testing how far they could go before he lashed against them.

Ever since they traveled back in time, he wondered how would Itachi be treated once he was back in the village and the truth about the Uchiha Massacre was uncovered.

Since they were still at war and under the banner of the shinobi alliance, this time the new Hokage would be elected by vote during a meeting between the heads of the alliance, wich was coincidentally held the same day Naruto was sent away in a mission to the borders, along with Kakashi and Sakura.

It took them two weeks, and many bumps in the road, to finish the mission, and when they finally made it back to the village all that kept the team morale from vanishing was the hope of seeing Naruto being appointed Hokage the moment they crossed the village's gates.

The only two waiting for them were Tsunade and Sasuke, both with heavy frowns on their faces, and radiating a not so happy aura.

When they reached Tsunade in the doors, she asked Saukra and Kakashi to leave them alone, since this was something they had to discuss in private, them only agreeing after Naruto told them everything was going to be fine with a wide grin.

The blonde himself didn't believed in his words, already suspecting what they were going to tell him.

It was Sasuke himself who voiced the words that felt like a punch to his gut.

"They chose me as Rokudaime, Naruto."

The betrayed look on Naruto's face was only saw by them, but when she tried to explain the reasoning for choosing the former traitor over the loyal shinobi, he just forced back the happy mask, with a smile that quite not reached his eyes, and gave the thumbs up to his friend, laughing it off and telling that once the war was over, he would be a shoe-in for the tittle of Nanadaime.

Sasuke grimaced at the clearly forced answer, but knowing very well how the blonde worked decided to look for him later, once he dealt with the fact that he stole away Naruto's dream when it was at his hand's grasp.

When he entered the blonde's department later that day, he found that the door was open, most of the furniture inside destroyed, and Naruto sitting in the middle of the mess, with red puffy dull eyes staring lifelessly at a random point in the floor, tear stains on his cheeks, and a small puddle, of what he guessed were tears, at his feet.

Even after he did his best to cheer his friend up, and he bounced back of his depression in a couple of days, some weeks later Naruto became a missing-nin and left the village to face Madara alone once his will of fire was crushed by Neji's dead, Killer bee getting captured, Hinata's betrayal and the much other blows to his heart he bottled inside so he wouldn't worry his friends.

It took every one of the ones he still considered friends - Sasuke included, to convince him to return.

They could still remember how wide he smiled when they discovered the potential in the Hiraishin seal array, along with the prospect of preventing so much suffering from happening...

* * *

"Keep the hat for yourself Tsunade, the kid no longer wants it."

Whatever Tsunade was about to say was choked on her spit at the declaration, while the rest of the people in the room just sighed sadly, already expecting something like that from their previous encounter.

"Now, _you_ don't give me that look" The fox kept speaking "would you really expect something different from a five years old? There can't be any memory of something that has not happened after all."

"What?"

"The jutsu tossed us in Earthland when it ended, clearly something I wasn't expecting, so when I looked out for Naruto to ask if he knew what happened, imagine my surprise when I found a five year old blonde boy, scared of everything arround him - me included, tears and snot running down his face, instead of the fearsome 17 year old shinobi that fought against Madara Uchiha alone to let his friends escape. The kit had no memories of any of us."

"No memories..." suddenly she looked so much older than her appereance showed, eyes widened looking at a random point in the room, before she regained focus, and with a tired sigh she made her next question.

"How much you exactly mean with _no memories?"_

"No memories of anything" the fox answered truthfully "Of any of you, of the village, of his life here, of Akatsuki, of the war, of Madara, the Bijuu, my old man... Nothing, empty, slate clean… everything after 5 years was gone from his head" then he furrowed his non-existent eyebrows "But it's weird that, despite the age he regressed to, his chakra was still there, his coils as developed as I remembered, and almost three tails worth of my chakra also in the mix."

"You! You did this to him! In a crazy attempt to escape from that seal when Naruto was weakened you put even more strain in the already unstable jutsu and then you-you-"

"I didn't! I was already out of it and like this when we arrived on Earthland!" He sighed when he saw all the narrowed eyes locked into him, knowing they needed to blame someone, but not wanting to be that someone, so he decided to elaborate further.

"Look, I know it sounds farfetched, that its really hard to understand, and that all this looks like it was orchestrated by me, but it's true. This is no longer the Naruto you all knew, he died the day you all tried to come back" Then he turned to the sleeping blonde and smiled sadly.

"But where there was once Naruto Uzumaki, now there's Naruto Dragneel. A mage from Fairy Tail, a guild in the kingdom of Fiore, from world of Earthland. He now has a brother, one who cherishes him more than anything, one who took care of him once their foster father - you wouldn't believe me if I told you who it was, had to leave. He has a family in that guild. Yeah, they are crazy, and most are not exactly a role model, but they care for each other deeply and protect those they consider their friends with everything they have, even with their own life."

Then, surprising everyone in the room, the fox snorted and shook his head "Unsurprisingly, he has also developed _feelings_ for one of his guildmates, a certain blonde-haired girl I'm sure also feels the same for him, but both are so dense, or too embarased about admitting it, that even if everyone can see something going on between them they don't dare to go beyond the friendship... it really becomes irritating sometimes."

Along with the massive sweatdrop that came with the piece of information, also came a quip from Sasuke, who, despite the previously tense athmosphere couldn't help his words.

"Guess some things never change."

Everyone agreed with this, even Kurama, while chuckling, and the tension in the room lessened, but for one Hinata Hyuuga, the moment left a bittersweet taste in her mouth once it was gone.

"Overall, Naruto now is finally happy" continued Kurama "No happy mask was ever needed, and he didn't have to fight almost to death to earn the love and recognition Uzumaki strived his whole life. He is safer there, there's no Madara, no Akatsuki, no Orochimaru, no no corrupted system trying to turn him into a weapon _for the greater good_, or need to kill or fear for your life. Earthland is his… our home now, and we need to return as fast as we can, our family must be more than worried by now."

The room went dead silent after Kurama's declaration. The seven ninjas deep in thought, reflecting on Kyuubi's words...

A mage? yeah, sure, the fox had to be messing with them.

A guild? Then that weird tattoo on his arm meant a new affiliation?

Naruto had explained all this to the younger part of the people in the room, but it was still a hard idea to grasp, and even harder to accept, now that they knew this was _their_ Naruto.

But, supposing for a moment, that what the fox said was true... was his life in "Earthland" _that much_ happier than the one he had in the elemental nations? Safer? They already took care of most of the most immediate threats, and even of some of the future ones, but was that enough?

"I have a deal for you Kyuubi" Shikamaru said, breaking the silence and getting everyone's attention "One that can benefit both of our sides."

"I'm listening."

"We will help you find a way to return to this world you preach so much about belonging now, I'm sure Jiraya-sama can tinker something Fuuinjutsu-based in order to do that."

Everyone looked at him like he was nuts. Was he really that calm with the idea of not seeing Naruto ever more?

"But in the meantime you'll be stuck here, and during that time we will try to make Naruto recover his memories."

There was a massive sigh of relief in the room, wich annoyed both Kurama and Shikamaru for different reasons.

"If, by the time we find a way to send you both back to your world, he has not regained any of his memories, we will let you go, and I'm sure you will never hear from us again. But, if by that time he gets back some, or all, of his memories back, it will be up to him decide whether he will stay, or he will leave. You agree?"

Kurama had to give it some thought.

They really didn't had much option there, one way or another they were stuck in the Elemental Nations, so, if they had tostay, then better to be in a familiar place than wondering aimlessly on possible dangerous territory.

These were not the times of the Shinobi Alliance, there was still animosity between the villages, and knowing Naruto, he would become a beacon of attention in a matter of days if not arround his brother, or people who could control him, or entertain him, or both.

Itwas also true that the old pervert could be of help finding a way for them back to Earthland, that was the reason he agreed with Naruto in the beginning to follow the group of Shinobi back to Konoha, but he also remembered that Shinobi and lies were like Kana and her booze, there couldn't be one without the other.

_'Damn, this would be a no-brain answer back in the guild, but here...'_

"Fine Nara, I'll accept your deal. We will stay in the village, and I'll let you _try _to make Naruto remember, just so you can confirm what I just said" Now he narrowed his eyes and his red slitted pupils shone dangerously, making the Nara gulp unconciously.

"But try something funny" here he directed his glare to Sasuke "Like planting fake memories in his head, or _'suggesting'_ that he should stay here, and I swear you'll never see us again, ever. Remember that I still share a link with the kit, so I'll know if you try something between those lines."

"Is that why you could block Naruto's memory of our encounter in the forest?" Sasuke asked, returning the glare with the same intensity, not intimidated in the least by the glowing red eyes.

"Yes."

"Then why you didn't gave him your memories?"

"His mind is not my playground Uchiha, I'm not like that lovely brother of yours. This time was an exception because it would make a rational conversation between us easier, once he wakes up. He deserves to be happy after all you put him through... remembering would only harm him, you know that." Then he shook his head before talking again "I still can't believe... how you could betray his trust in such way? He considered all of you like his family!"

"B-but we n-never stopped being l-like f-family!"

"You dare even open that mouth, Hyuuga?" Kurama spat "Out of everyone here, you were the one he held closer to his heart, and you were the one who pushed him further into snapping... Even after that, he sacrificed himself so you could come back."

Filled with guilt, everyone went silent. Only small sobs from Hinata were heard, and when she could not handle the shame anymore she ran out of the office while crying.

Kurama sighed and turned to Naruto, seeing him stir on his dream, and then he turned to the rest and spoke.

"Naruto is about to wake up, have you called for people to see him?" The question was directed to Tsunade.

"Everyone who met him even once, but missed him during his 4 year absence."

"Then go, all of you, and explain them his situation while I make up some story to how he ended here, and make him believe it" Everyone chuckled once again, there was that silly verbal tick he had when he was a kid.

"Remember that I will deny everything you say about his past, I'll let you try to convince him, but I won't help… now go" He said while making a shooing motion with his paw.

"Ironic... the very same demon that once tried to destroy the village now is ordering me in my office" Tsunade said while walking towards the door, following the rest out of the room.

"I prefer the title Exeed now, even if I still have old traits of my Bijuu nature I fit better now in that category… weird things happen when you travel through dimensions I guess."

"Whatever" said Tsunade shrugging before closing the door once outside the office.

* * *

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, feeling that his head was about to split in two "Ughhh… What hit me? I feel just like if Erza used my head as a punching bag…"

"Actually, you kind of knocked yourself out" answered Kurama "Don't you remember?"

"Huh?" asked Naruto still rubbing his head.

"After those guys accepted you offer you got all… fired up? I don't know why you let Igneel rub you that silly catch phrase."

"Hey! It's not silly!"

"Whatever… after that you started to run ahead without really looking where you stepped, and then you fell from a small cliff screaming. I guess you can tell what happened then."

"I landed head first and knockend out myself… again?" Naruto asked chuckling nervously and feeling embarrassed.

"Yup, Clover town once more. After those guys helped me get you inside their town, still unconcious I might add, they decided to take us to see hteir leader. Right now we are inside their leader's office."

"Uh-huh" The blonde nodded absentmindedly while looking around the office and occasionally sniffing "It's weird Kurama, I somehow find this place familiar, and that… homey smell again… How's this place called?"

"Huh?" asked Kurama, trying to think on some way to avoid bringing up the bad memories.

"This city Kurama, how is it called?"

"What was it?" He faked being in deep thought, tapping a paw on his chin "Kon-koho-kono… Konoha, I think."

"Konoha… hmm" He crossed his arms and seemed to be concentrating in something, but after some seconds he shrugged "Nope, doesn't ring a bell, maybe this place is kind of messing up my senses."

Kurama mentally sighed in relief.

"Where is everyone else?"

"About that, I forgot to tell you..." Kurama said turning serious, this caught Naruto's attention immediately "I overheard some of their conversation on our way here, and they are still sure you are Uzumaki."

"But I already explained them about that!" whined Naruto.

"I know, but they refuse to believe that, and from what I heard, Uzumaki could be... well, dead..."

"Dead? That's... no way!" Naruto never liked that word, even if it was an stranger, and specially now since this was... somehow him.

"Don't get all gloomy now, I said he could be, not that he was" This lifted Naruto's mood again, even if small there was hope "And they also said he was a ninja of this village, so he clearly knows how to protect himself."

"Ninja? That's so cool! Maybe his friends can teach me some cool ninja stuff while-"

"Focus on the problem Naruto!" Kurama growled a bit annoyed "They want to replace Uzumaki with you! I'm sure they will lie to you, or try to convince you that you belong here… I even heard they can make illusions that can create fake things in your mind and make them feel real. We will be staying here, so if they try something like that don't let them fool you, the guild must be still waiting for us and worried about our whereabouts."

"If this is that dangerous, then why trust them?"

"Even if it's true they'll try to make you stay, I can't really blame them for thinking about that. Try to compare them to Edo-Elfman and Edo-Mira… it looked like their Lissana actually died, but when our Lissana arrived on Edolas imagine how happy they were, believing that their Lissana had returned… it was only as time passed that they noticed the difference, and in the end resigned to let her go with us back to Earthland." Naruto nodded, remembering his surprise when he thought he would never see 'Lissana-neesan' again.

"Now relate that to the guys here. They say that Uzumaki disappeared 4 years ago and now you appear out of nowhere, literally looking like a clone of the one they look for, telling things about alternate dimensions and doppelgangers. Of course they will prefer to believe that you are delusional than facing the truth… Besides they look like good people, and they will also help us find a way back home, or so they say."

Naruto thought about that for a while, trying to place himself on their position "Yeah, I guess I would have reacted in a similar way if something similar happened when Lissana-neesan…" A sad sigh escaped his lips as he remembered how hard hit Natsu, Happy, Kurama and him the news that Lissana died on that mission, but a small smile came at the memory of the party the guild threw when Lissana finally returned, how happy were his brother and his exeed catching up with her.

"Guess I can't really get angry at them for trying to convince me, not that I would let them, or starting to treat me the way they used to do with Uzumaki... At least until they get used to me. Then I suppose then I will have to endure that duck butt haired Teme calling me dobe."

Kurama snickered hearing that, even the face he made was the same he had when he used to bicker with the Emo king back in his genin days.

"What?"

And with that the seriousness of Kurama's face disappeared.

"It's just that… nah, it's nothing. On the bright side, maybe you can convince them to teach you some 'cool Ninja stuff' while we are here" Naruto could practically hear the quotation marks on his words.

"Yatta!" He cheered up immediately, fist up in the air "Now I'm all fired up, believe it!" And it seemed that Naruto didn't even noticed he fell on that forgotten verbal tick from his previous life. Kurama just dismissed it as his subconscious and sighed, he should be already used to the mood swings and sudden outbursts.

Sometimes it was like being with a Natsu clone, a clone with blonde hair instead of pink, and that train of thought made him wonder if Happy was just used to Natsu's… unique personality, or if he was simply too innocent to care… maybe a mix of both.

A soft knock on the door brought him back to the Hokage's office.

"Naruto, wait here for a while. Their leader said something about gathering all the people Uzumaki once knew, maybe it's them now… I'll go outside and try to convince them one last time, but it might not work so I suggest you to embrace yourself for a… unique situation" He then floated to the door before he stopped and turned to him, feeling the need to make one last thing clear before leaving the blonde alone.

"And Naruto? Please try to keep yourself from turning anything inside this office to ashes" Then he opened the door and floated outside, not really hearing Naruto's cries of indignation, and seeing Tsunade and all the people behind her he rose and eyebrow.

"You managed to get this much people to convince Naruto that he's Uzumaki?"

Tsunade, along with the other six that had already met the fox, didn't mind him that much, but all the others behind them that were old enough to remember the Kyuubi attack 16 years ago paled at the sight of the small fox with little feathered wings and three tails hanging from it's backside.

"Kyuubi…" someone muttered disbelievingly, but Kurama didn't paid attention to it as he told Tsunade and the others there the excuse he made up for Naruto.

"_Kyuubi!"_ It was Iruka the one who snarled the name this time, enough to let others hear it and make the younger ones there also pale, and in an act of bravery, maybe fueled by the frail appearance of the small fox, he threw a Kunai towards him.

Said fox only floated to a side lazily and said weapon never came even close to graze him.

"What's the meaning of this Hokage-sama?" Kurama asked Tsunade tilting his head to a side, faking obliviousness and innocence about the reason this just happened.

She only glared at him for a second before sighing and turning to the now tense group.

"I've already told you about Naruto's situation, the same applies here to Kurama-san… that's his name by the way, not _Kyuubi_, and he happens to be a close friend to Naruto, so I don't suggest that kind of behavior if you don't want to get on Naruto's bad side."

"B-but that's… _it_, and Naruto would never-"

"I'm sorry to tell you, Iruka-san, that Naruto really can't remember us at all, for him we are totally strangers now" Lee said in an unusual serious tone "And he is willing to inflict damage to those who mistreat him or Kurama-san. Sasuke-san can give testimony of that."

Unconsciously he moved a hand to his chest, where the ghost pain of the punch made him wince despite the great job Sakura did healing him.

All the present gasped at that bit of information they were oblivious to. They knew what kind of friendship existed between the Jinchuuriki and the last Uchiha, and even if they would get into fights occasionally they knew they would not go to lengths of harming greatly each other.

If what Rock Lee just said was true, then their beliefs that Tsunade was just exaggerating were no longer that strong. So in their shock they proceeded to stare at Kurama, who was somehow picking his nose with a paw, looking totally oblivious to what was happening arround him (Or at least that's how it looked like, inside he was laughing his ass off… tricky bastard).

"G-gomen Kurama-san, for a moment I mistook you for… _something_ else."

"Don't worry about it… Iruka was it?" The scarred teacher nodded "That has happened a couple of times by now and I don't really mind it, so no harm done" The fox said while waving a paw in a dismissively way.

* * *

Now you should be wondering, story aside for a moment, why the hell is that damned fox acting so… civilized, and has not already started ranting about him being the ultimate engine of destruction that has ever walked over the Elemental Nations.

Well… he no longer is (_Typing on a keyboard and various clicks can be heard, then "The Storyteller" main theme starts to play in the background) _Ehemm… When they somehow ended up in Earthland, making a long story short, Kurama found himself out of the seal, much… MUCH smaller than he remembered and 3 tails worth of chakra missing.

Close to him was a small 5 Years old Naruto that looked totally terrified of him, just like if he didn't even knew who he was, so struggling with the frightened boy he found out that Naruto had lost every memory after 5 years, and the ones previous were distant and unclear, so he had to take care of a 5 year old memory less Naruto just because he felt he owed the kit at least that after what he went through back on the village.

After a couple of days wandering on the forest, and after befriending the boy again (he found ironic how it was him now who tried to become the kit's friend) they stumbled with Natsu, and the pink haired boy immediately found himself resembled in Naruto, so he took both to meet Igneel, and for the first time (and last so far) Kurama met a Dragon.

He never felt so small before in his long existence, and even after training hard to harness the Eternano (some days later the dragon told him that they were in a mage world, and that there they used magic power, fueled by Eternano) and successfully combining it with his chakra (Somehow Naruto now could do this unconsciously) he could grow up to six tails, but the massive Dragon still towered him by a significant difference.

Igneel once tried to make Kurama leave with Naruto, stating that he could only take care of one kid since he was not _that_ fond of humans, but Kurama knew that the kit needed someone as strong as Igneel to take care of him, so he made a deal with the dragon for Naruto's sake, stating that they should fight and depending who won, Naruto would have to leave or stay, but Kurama would leave anyway.

Igneel agreed.

Kurama stood his ground against the massive dragon, managing to even scar him through those almost impenetrable scales, but in the end Igneel emerged victorious, and did something that greatly surprised the fox.

Stating that he didn't had such a good fight in a long time, to honor a worthy opponent he would take care of Naruto despite defeating him.

That humbled the fox for the first time in his existence, being used to ninjas and their backstabbing ways that display of honor was like a slap on the face, and it became even greater when, at the time he was about to leave, the small Naruto ran to him from inside the cave they lived in, and crying he hugged him like a lifeline, pleading that he didn't leave him because he was his first friend ever.

Now Kurama knew this was because of the memory loss he suffered, but the raw emotion the boy displayed on his face and his plea was so sincere that he couldn't help but shed a single tear, not that he would ever admit that, and try to hug him back with his tiny paws and tails.

Igneel only chuckled at the scene and said that he wouldn't mind repeating such a good fight again once the fox grew stronger, even proposing to help him, and thus a small family was born.

Igneel grew fond of Naruto in no time, going to the length of calling him his son along with Natsu, and teaching both the Fire dragon slayer magic.

Naruto and Natsu treated each other like brothers, and their personalities were so much alike that anyone would call them twins in all but blood, and so the idea of using similar clothing got inside their heads (Oh… so that was why… Hehehe, sorry for rant back on chapter 1) but seeing they could not do that for now Naruto opted for giving Natsu his orange and black jacket, which Natsu wore until it was too small to fit him, and then he stored it along with their important mementos.

It was surprising that the clothes he wore the day they tried to jump back in time shrunk to his current body, well, all except from his headband which disappeared much to Kurama's delight, he didn't needed ties with his old life.

When Igneel gave each one their own scaled white scarf they had such a big smile that Kurama was afraid their faces would split any moment, but sadly that would be the last significant happy memory they would have with Igneel, because some days later he left without warning and none of the three saw him again until the current date, but it seemed Karma now worked in favor of Naruto, because it was not much later that they met Makarov Dreyar.

Well, it was more like he found them, and after a quick conversation he convinced Natsu and Naruto to join his mage guild called Fairy Tail, and obviously he had to follow them.

The tiny man once again showed him how much different this new world was, because even if he had enough strength to form part of the 10 Wizard saints, title he could relate to the Sannin back in the Elemental Nations, he liked to play fool and be easygoing to let his 'children' grow up at their own pace.

But he would never let them get into trouble, the few he got serious, Kurama was sure he would make even Tsunade start sweating bullets.

All in all, his experience on Earthland gave him an image of what his old man wished for the Elemental Nations, and he really liked it. He even made friends with people in the guild, specially with Happy, Charle and Panther Lily as a fellow exeed (He had said before that now he considered himself an Exeed more than a Bijuu seeing he fits the description) going to the extent of also having a guild mark on one of his paws.

He wouldn't show it to anyone, not because he was ashamed of it, but because it meant so much for him now that only those he deemed worthy would know about it, just like he was with his name back on his old grumpy days.

So now he didn't had that stick up his ass anymore, considered Naruto and Natsu family along with the whole guild, and now he was… friendlier with others. His superiority complex was transformed into something similar to the pervert name Jiraya made for himself, people knew him for that but accepted it as something more funny than annoying, so it was fine to be around him now… Yup, that's all about that, now where were we? Oh! Right there _(Sounds some clicks and music stops) _Ahem…

* * *

"Is Naruto ready to see us now? There are some people getting really impatient" Tsunade cut Iruka before he answered to the fox.

"I've already told you Hokage-sama, this is not Uzumaki we are talking about… but I believe you didn't told them that. Well, you'll notice that by yourself later, but for now yeah, he's ready to see you… remember, he doesn't likes to be called names."

"I've already got that clear" Sasuke muttered, remembering those punches he somehow avoided before.

Tsunade opened the doors to the office, but before anyone could enter two blurs shot inside and tackled an unaware Naruto to the floor while he was watching the Hokage monument through the office window.

"Naruto-niisan! You finally came back!" A boy with dark hair, that reminded him of Romeo back in the guild, said practically shouting with glee.

"Took you long enough to return boss" Another one said practically crying, he had brown spiky hair somehow oriented upwards and a long blue scarf around his neck "Nice scarf by the way."

"Uhh… thanks?" Naruto's face was the perfect image of confusion.

"Hey Inari, maybe he will remember us if we show him _that_ jutsu" Blue scarf said grinning, cleaning the tears that managed to escape his eyes and sniffing.

"Which… Ohhhh, _that_ one, hehehehe… let's do this Konohamaru!" The newly identified Inari answered with another grin and both jumped back from over Naruto to form a weird sigh with their hands at the same time.

_"Oiroke no jutsu!"_ And in a poof of smoke both kids disappeared. Everyone was already inside the room when the smoke dissipated... only to reveal two naked girls… two pretty damn good looking naked girls with only bits of smoke covering the… sensitive areas in one side, and a long blue scarf doing the same work on the other.

"Do you remember us now… _Boss?_" purred seductively the brunette one.

"We've missed you Naruto-_niisan_" the dark haired one followed the example of the first.

The room fell silent at the display, many of the males there were wide-eyed and some even had blood dripping out of their nose, but Naruto just kept there and blinked once, twice, and if you took great attention you could see a small, tiny drop of blood trying to fall from his nose… and also hear furious writing from somewhere.

Seeing no recognition come to the face of the blonde, both kids sighed in defeat and released the Henge, making someone shout.

"Nooooooo! Change back please! That was the most enlightening sight I've ever had, even from peep… ehemm… researching! There were some ideas that-"

His rant was cut off when the temperature in the room dropped considerably (not that Naruto noticed, his usual body temperature is higher than normal thanks to his magic) and a dark aura appeared around every woman in the room, but the one with blonde hair and big… assets was the one who started to walk towards where the voice spoke.

"What did you said, you old pervert?" She asked clearly faking sweetness, if the punch she held up by her face and the bulging vein in her forehead was any indicator... Lucy usually reacted in the same way when they entered her apartment through the window before she arrived, and sometimes it was really scary.

"Ehhh, look Tsunade-hime, it's not what it looks like, you SEEEEeeeeeeee…" A white haired and weird looking man started mumbling waving his hands in front of him before he disappeared.

Analyzing better the scene he tried to connect the dots.

The woman's arm was stretched with smoke coming out of her fist, which was in the place were the man's face was before, and a hole in the wall in front of her… and the man's fading voice in the distance…

"Fight me!" Somehow Naruto got up, jumped and ended in front of the woman while pointing at her in less than 2 seconds, and everyone (including said woman) looked at him like he grew a second head and wings.

"Please?" he added trying to make the situation a bit less uncomfortable.

"Every time Naruto… every damn time you see someone that can clearly kick your ass you have to make a fool of yourself and demand a fight…"

Kurama said clearly exasperated, but he was already used to this kind of displays "You are too much like your brother for your own good" That last bit he added on porpoise to see how the rest of people would react, he was not disappointed by the collective gasp.

"I've already told you that demanding is still better than directly charging!" Naruto answered with a glare and a pout, oblivious of the reactions of the rest of people "And it's just fair that we measure our strength with stronger people, you know Igneel taught us that, so don't blame Natsu-nii for that" he ended crossing his arms on his chest still pouting and glaring at Kurama.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, but even though I bet your father would be quite troubled about you taking so much after Natsu, damn, you even use practically the same outfit!"

Again a collective gasp after the mention of his 'father', and this time Naruto finally noticed it, and the disbelieving looks directed to him, and noticing the mischievous shine in Kurama's eyes he caught his plan and directed him a grin that meant that he would play along.

"Yeah, but you know that the idea was there ever since we were kids, and it only became fitting after the people started calling us the 'Dragon twins of Fairy Tail'. I'm sure that's totally normal behavior between brothers-"

"Sorry to interrupt your chat, but we haven't been properly introduced" Tsunade said a bit annoyed that she was being ignored in such a way, even being in front of the gaki, but mostly because in their little tirade people were starting to look confused, as if considering if this was truly Naruto. She needed everyone's help to bring the old Naruto back.

"I'm Senju Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato"

"Emmm… Naruto Dragneel, ummm, one of the dragon twins of Fairy Tail… nice to meet 'ya" He answered awkwardly while scratching his cheek, not really used to such formal introductions "You said that you could help us return home right?"

Tsunade sighed, this was going to be even harder than she thought it would be. She hoped that seeing some familiar faces would make him remember something, but clearly that plan had miserably failed so far.

"Look Naruto, you are already back in home… There's no other world, or father, or brother, you belong-"

"I only agreed to come and help you because the deal was that you would help me find a way back home" Naruto cut off her clearly annoyed "If you only wish to keep me here so you can try to convince me to stay, then I'll better leave and find help somewhere else, the people back in the guild should be quite worried by now" and then he turned and headed to the door, followed closely by Kurama.

The room kept silent as Naruto neared the door and almost opened it, nobody wished to let him go, but also no one knew what to say now… eventually Sasuke was the one to react and try to stop him.

"Wait! Just don't leave yet dobe!" he cursed instantly noticing the slip.

Naruto growled and snapped at him "What is it now _Teme?_"

The room became silent once again, at least until the pink haired girl he saw before jumped and hugged him while the duck butt haired guy that spoke before smirked like if he just proved something.

"I knew you weren't totally lost Naruto" she said giving him a quite strong hug. Only then he noticed that maybe 'Teme' was something that Uzumaki said regularly to that annoying guy, and he really didn't knew why the nickname came to his mind, he only found it fitting, but that clearly was NOT a memory.

"Look, I'm not who you think I am, that was just the first thing that came to my head so please don't get your hopes up…" he sighed when the pink haired girl only hugged him more firmly, and then he started to feel the wetness of tears on his chest while she muttered about there still being hope.

He didn't had the heart to shrug her off, so he just patted her head and back trying to calm her… now the people thought that he _indeed_ was Uzumaki and would try harder to get him to stay… troublesome.

Shikamaru sneezed.

But he really didn't shrug the hug because it felt like the ones Lucy would sometimes give him back at the guild.

He really liked Lucy… 'HER HUGS! Her hugs!' he immediately corrected himself mentally, hiding his blushing face behind his scarf after that idea, but really… since he met her in Hargeon Town and convinced her to join Fairy Tail he felt weird around her, but a good weird kind of feeling, like being more happy, more energetic and always eager to help her.

He always thought that it was because she was his friend, his nakama, but after that little slip... Was he really interested in her in more than just being friends?

"Naruto?" he was brought back to reality by two fingers being snapped in front of his face and his name being called by the pink haired girl, which was now trying to get out of the arm patting her back and the other one patting her head "Are you feeling fine?"

"I was thinking about someone back at home" he answered absentmindedly, still with his face behind his scarf, but she noticed the rosy color of his cheeks and gave him a knowing grin.

"I bet you were Naruto" after she said that Naruto immediately released her like she had some kind of disease, only to blush even more in embarrassment, and try to bury his face even more behind his scarf in a very Hinata-like demeanor.

"Look Naruto, sorry if I let myself get carried away like that" Tsunade apologized, really regretting her reaction, but also to save the gaki from the embarrassing situation he somehow got himself into.

"We will let that other… _problem_ aside for now, and I promise, as Hokage of the village, that we will really help you find a way back to... sorry, but this is really hard for me."

Naruto nodded, his blush finally gone (he silently thanked Tsunade for that) "I can understand that, we had a… similar situation back at home some time ago, so there are no hard feelings. I'll stay to keep my part of the deal and help you find Uzumaki"

"Fine" she breathed relieved "But if you will stay you will need to take… ermm… well, you know… _that_ name. You are too similar to him on looks, and to let you around with any other name than _his_ can cause some nasty political incidents because of a especial… _status_ he had, so in order to let us help you, and vice versa, without problems you will need to take his place as a ninja."

Naruto thought about this for a moment, was it a good idea to usurp Uzumaki while they searched for him? Kurama said that he probably... PROBABLY stressed Naruto, was dead, but was it fair for them to have him on his place?

He would eventually have to leave after he found him, but if they didn't found Uzumaki?… Well, he didn't have much of an option right now, so he would have to take care of those details later.

"You will also receive training as a Ninja of Konoha" Tsunade added as an afterthought, and if Naruto doubted before, now he had his mind totally made up.

"Soooooo, I will get to learn to do cool ninja stuff?" Naruto asked eagerly, glitter shining around his face, Tsunade chuckled at the sight.

"Yes Naruto, you will learn to do 'cool ninja stuff' as you called it."

"YATTA!" he said jumping with a punch to the air "Now I'm all fired up! Where do I sign?"

"The papers are already there, they are yours after all… somehow."

She needed to be careful on that matter, it was a hard thing to do knowing that he was… well, he, but saying that aloud would only push him away from them, so she had to be patient for now.

Oh goodie, lucky her that patience was one of her specialties, huzzah! (She is being sarcastic about the patience thing if you didn't noticed).

"So you'll have to go under the name 'Naruto Uzumaki' for now."

"Nah… I don't want to go _that _far. I said I would take his place, not his name. Can't you make it so I can use my name?"

"Weren't you listening?! I told you that you using you name is what we are trying to avoid! Too much attention drawn on yourself and the village! Besides, the _paperwork…_" She shuddered at the idea.

Naruto frowned. He would not take Uzumaki's name no matter what, that was just… wrong! There had to be something he could… he snapped his fingers as an idea came to his mind.

"Then, can you make it so I can use both names together?"

"Hmmm… maybe if we assign you a ghost guardian after the disappearance… some favors… yeah, that could work, it would also be much… really much less paperwork than your previous idea, and it can also be somewhat more discrete for other… issues about the parentage. So fine, you will now be Naruto Uzumaki Dragneel."

"Nope, that won't work."

"Then _what_ do you suggest?" Tsunade was getting slightly annoyed… Why so much trouble about the name anyway!

"It will be Naruto _Dragneel_ Uzumaki" He stated with a tone of finality and a grin ear to ear.


	3. Making up for the forgotten time

**(A/N): Aaaaand guess what? new chapter! (yay!) yeah... almost a week, even less I think, but thankfully I got the time and inspiration to kindda rush this one and keep it with my standards, hope you like it... weell, and we got REVIEWS (throws confety to the air) 4 for a single chapter is far more than I achieved so far (more that I have ever achieved I think) and I hope that they keep coming up, makes me feel that I'm doing this right :D so... answer time! :D**

**bi0nicc0mmand3r: Kurama is still kindda prideful despite his 'humanization' on Earthland, so having three tails showing all time tells that he is somewhat special, different from other exeeds, but not something he would brag about... think of it as something unconcious or stuff like that**

**dfelfkselkr: Oh indeed, he WILL reunite with his guild mates and brother not too far from now, I hope, but as a little spoiler... it won't be on Earthland, if ya' know what I mean ;D**

**OwO: Hmmm... Hinata... Can't tell you exactly what she did, but it's not something massively evil, like betrayin' the whole village or something like that, but it was more like betraying Naruto himself on a more personal level... a really more personal level, I'm sure it's not that hard to, at least, get a vague idea of what I'm saying but anyway can't tell details, down the road you'll learn what happened not only with her, but with the rest of the guys during the war**

**Special Hi! to shinto kami, hope you keep loving the fanfic, I'm really loving doing it for you guys and your support is all I need, 1k views on the first two chapters is really something that makes me feel proud of what I do, hope I can keep the rate and upload a chapter per week, not decreasing the lengh, now I'll let Jarvis explain some things of this chapter... Jarvis?**

**"Fine... first the flashback scene of the meeting Tsunade has at the begining is on MY perspective, Segaku found it more... entertaining that way, and no, this won't be a Harem fic, that scene with Ino was just for the laughts of it"**

**Yeah, I had some friends and a sister that are somewhat fangirls, so I foud that part somewhat amusing... **

**"Also, the last part when Naruto tells Tsunade about his life on Earthland... yeah, it's kindda long and all, maybe boring, so it's up to you to read it or not, but I'll suggest you give it a try and comment on how it was, totally crappy? or passable? dunno, up to you"**

**I really suffered with that, I tried to make short paragraphs about each main arc of the anime, but there is always something extra to add, it's not that imperative for the developement, but I tried to make it the most close to Naruto's perspective as the one telling the story and Tsunade being the one listening (yeah, on that part what is in parenthesis is what Tsunade thinks, not witty additions of Jarvis)**

**Sooo... that's all for now folks, hope you like this and please don't forget to REVIEW! it's like my food here, don't let me starve to death ok? (big puppy eyes with small pout) ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**Disclaimer: bah... why do I even bother? No, I still don't own Naruto nor Fairy Tail... but soon... soon... (evil laughter)**

**Update 09/06/2015: Finally got time to check this one and correct some things here and there, that last part may still be too heavy to read, but at least now it is not so heavilly packed with words like before.**

* * *

_"Many are still waiting for their new beginning, their birth by sleep, even me... and even you"_

_Ansem the wise, Kingdom hearts Birth by Sleep_

* * *

Chapter 3: Making up for the forgotten time

_Thud_ "Ittai!"

With a heavy sound, Naruto once again hit the ground, glaring the tree in front of him with such hate that if he could channel magic through them he would have recreated Amateratsu by now.

It had been almost three days now with this tree-walking exercise, and even if in the beginning it had been challenging and interesting, by now it had became boring and dull.

He had practically mastered the exercise the first day, walking up, down, around and in every possible way he could imagine in the tree, much to Kakashi's surprise.

The guy was a freak, at least in Naruto's opinion. For the rest of the people in the village he seemed to be normal, or perhaps they were just used to him by now… anyway, the guy reminded him of Mistogan in some aspects, like the 'covering his face' part, or in making him fall asleep.

Seriously, he had explained him that teamwork was really encouraged in the guild when working on groups, so why remark that so much?

But at least he seemed very insistent in that topic, and that was a good thing in his books, so he guessed he was fine.

Well... at least until he found about that little orange book he usually read, and who its author was.

Surprisingly it was written by Tsunade-baachan's teammate, that Ero-jiji called Jiraya, who was supposed to be a badass ninja or something called a Sanin… yeah, sure, and Makarov-jiji would end up dressing like master Bob.

Better remove the mental image of _that_ before the nightmares start.

At first he was curious about the book since he saw that many people, mostly ninjas, bought it from the only bookstore that would sell them (hidden between scrolls and other books) and thinking it was some kind of secret guide containing badass techniques or stuff like that he got what money he could (he found a frog-shaped plushy wallet in Uzumaki's room that he called Gamma-chan and kept with him because it was cool, and had to use the money stored in it since that his jewels were useless in this world) and bought a copy… only to turn it into ashes after the first chapter.

For someone who practically grew up around beautiful and strong (and sometimes not that restrained) women like Mirajane, Erza or Cana, he knew that there was much more to them than the pretty faces others would see (even if Mira was cover girl for the Sorcere's Weekly), being that the reason why he found that book utterly disgusting, so the next day when he saw Kakashi again with that damned orange book in his hands, he walked towards him like he would usually do, and with a swift movement that caught the cyclops off guard he snatched the smut from his hand and burnt it into ashes.

The jounin stared him wide-eyed while Naruto cleaned the ashes from his hands with a scowl, and glared him like challenging him to say something.

Kakashi regained his usual lazy looking attitude and gave him an eye-smile that sent shivers down his spine.

"For today, and as much time as I deem necessary, you will be doing the tree-climbing exercise."

That's how Naruto got himself into this problem, and right now he was yawning out of complete boredom, not really noticing that he was walking up and down the tree again and again, with Kakashi near him 'supervising his progress' while reading another of those orange books and Kurama not too far from him taking a nap.

The sun was already setting so he guessed Kakashi would soon call it a day, and almost cried of relief once the jounin did so.

Not caring to even say goodbye, not that the cyclops seemed to care, he walked as far and as fast as he could, away from that training field, so he could plan a way to get some kind of revenge on him.

"Hey Kurama, what would you consider as a good way to make the scarecrow pay? I had in mind either using Henge to impersonate him on the village and give him a social assassination, or sneaking up to him and give him a kick on _that_ place, so hard that it would end his career as a ninja, but would assure him one as soprano."

Even if Kurama remained uncaring on the outside, inside he flinched and just knew that even that stoic bastard of Madara Uchiha would suck a breath at such sight, knowing that Naruto had the strength to back up the claim.

"Even if the second one is quite appealing, I think I have an idea that would use his own punishment against himself."

"I'm all ears" Naruto said with a grin that, had Kakashi saw it, he would learn to fear from now on.

* * *

Tsunade was, once again, drowned up to her neck on paperwork. Piles and piles of disgusting white sheets claiming her signature, slowly draining her life, one page at a time, and laughing at her helplessness against them.

She sighed tiredly and decided to take a rest when she actually started to hear giggles coming from the current sheet in front of her, and focusing on something else other than her white torture her mind returned to a week and a half ago, when Naruto returned and met again with his old friends.

_(Flashback)_

"Very well, now that that is settled I bet you wish to reunite with- emmm… meet, the people around you, they were Naruto's friends" Tsunade said after finally getting an agreement with Naruto about his new name.

"This feels odd... I know I'm not Uzumaki, sorry guys but whatever you think, I'm just not him, but until now, every time you address me I can't help but feel that I should know you lot. Now don't get it wrong, it's nothing like memories or stuff like that, but thinking back to our travel to Edolas... even if most of the guys from that Fairy Tail were the opposite in personality with my world's Fairy Tail, they were the same in essence. I don't know you guys, but you… even if I keep saying not to, you treat me as friendly as I guess you would treat Uzumaki, and it makes me feel this is unfair."

"Don't worry Naruto, you resemble the hope we have in finding our Naruto, and if in the end you really are not him and you have to leave, well... we will search him even harder because you gave us hope that we will be able to find him someday" Tsunade answered with a warm smile.

Naruto's resolve crumbled with that.

"Ehhh... thanks? I mean... does me being here means that much to you? Even if you know that I'm going to leave in the end?"

The nod of confirmation from practically the whole room, and the two boys - Konoharmaru and Inari, if he was not mistaken - hugging him like a lifeline made him take a stupid decision (he knew it was a stupid one) but one he considered to be the right thing to do.

The fact it would ease the rising guilt in his chest of giving them empty hopes also helped into making the decision.

"I'll do this one favor to you as a sign of gratitude… I'll -sigh- play along with this. I can see it's hard for you to see this face and connect it with someone else… I still need to get to know you, but you can treat me as you are used to… damn, this was easier in my head."

"Don't worry Naruto, we are all here to help you" Sakura assured him, standing still close to Naruto, and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Naruto blushed a bit remembering their first interaction some minutes ago, and again hid his face behind his scarf while mumbling a thanks.

"Thank you… emmm… what's your name?" Sakura looked at him a bit confused, for a moment an image of the Naruto she remembered overlapped the embarrassed teenager in front of her and she forgot the situation he was in, but shaking her head she focused again and answered.

"Sakura Haruno, I'm your… emmm… 'his' teammate, along with Sasuke Uchiha-" she signaled over her shoulder to where Sasuke was.

"Hn, dobe"

"Shut up Teme!"

Sakura just giggled at the exchange, it looked so much like the old times "And Kakashi Hatake over there"

"Yo" Kakashi greeted after being signaled, lifting a hand lazily in a greeting gesture.

Naruto only gave him a weird look for a while, confused by his only visible eye, which was curved into what seemed to be a… smile?

"Man, you're weird" Naruto blurted out "The only one weirder than you that comes to my mind right now is Mystogan, but with him I could, at least, see both his eyes."

"Thanks… I guess" Kakashi said wondering who the heck Mystogan was.

"Heh, no problem!" Naruto grinned and everyone sweatdropped.

After that, everyone started introducing themselves to Naruto with no big ceremony and as friendly as they could, a bit sad that he couldn't remember them, but with hope that given time he would, and so it went until Team 10 stepped ahead, specially once Asuma, Chouji and Shikamaru were done and was Ino's turn.

She just stood there wide eyed and mouth open, openly staring Naruto with… hungry eyes?

"Ino-pig? Are you ok?" Sakura asked a bit worried about her friend, but she only mumbled something that no one managed to hear.

"What did you said? You're starting to worry us Ino…"

"H-hot…" She mumbled again, a bit louder this time, and pushing Sakura to a side she started to stumble towards Naruto like being in some kind of trance.

When she finally reached him, why nobody stopped her beats me, Naruto was curious and a bit nervous, flinching when she started poking his biceps, making him get a bit embarrassed.

It was not the first time that happened, but he really didn't liked it.

Then she moved from his arms to his chest, openly exposed under his waistcoat, and kept poking. Now he started to feel uncomfortable, trying to think on why she was doing this, but doing nothing to stop her afraid of doing something rude, nobody stopped her before after all.

But when her hands finally moved to his belly, no longer poking but now openly touching, he jumped backwards immediately totally freaked out.

"H-hey, don't d-do that again! It's u-uncomfortable!" he frantically shouted, making an interesting impression of a tomato.

The sudden outburst seemed to wake Ino from her dazed state, and once she realized what she was doing a deep blush covered her face and she backed away a bit.

"S-sorry Naruto, I d-didn't meant to… It's just that you've grown... and your… body…"

The glazed look returned, a red colored line stated to drop from her nose, and with a happy squeal she fainted… strangely enough only then the other women in the room noticed what Ino was talking about, being overjoyed by the news that the small child or, in some cases, the mature young man they missed so much had returned they didn't minded much the clothing, or lack thereof, and the view it offered.

Not long after that, Hinata (surprising huh?) joined Ino in the floor, with crimson rivers flowing from her nostrils.

She had to be evacuated to the hospital to get an emergency blood transfusion.

After taking Hinata to the hospital and waking Ino up, Tsunade regained the control of the situation and spoke, trying to hide her own blush at the sight of the man her little brother was starting to become… what a man…

"Now that the introductions are over, we need to discuss the matter of your training."

This of course caught Naruto's attention immediately, and helped him in forgetting the embarrassing situation he was put in moments ago.

"I don't think that will be necessary Hokage-sama, I'll take him as my student" Kakashi said stepping ahead "I was Naruto's old teacher, so it only seems fitting."

"What? That weird guy will teach me? No way, he gives me the creeps."

"Oh well, according to my reports the only other team that could receive you is team 10" Tsunade said while ruffling through random papres on her desk "and I bet Ino would be more than happy to greet you there."

The overjoyed squeal of 'Naruto-kun' he heard made him gulp.

"Besides that was Naruto's original team, team 7"

"Emmm… I guess I should honor that… I bet Uzumaki would like that too, right?" He conceded while scratching the back of his head nervously, he would take the scarecrow ten times over that creepy girl Ino.

_(Flashback end)_

After that little exchange there were only small pointers Tsunade deemed necessary to tell Naruto about how life was on a ninja village, knowing how Naruto was, and not really aware of any special quirk he could have gotten during his time on that other world.

It was better to be safe than sorry.

Naruto looked downcast at the idea of no place like his 'guild hall' in the village, where he could get food, meet and hang out with his friends, get the jobs from, and also get in the occasional fight to 'keep things animated'.

Tsunade wished to believe he was just joking, but deep inside she knew that was not the case.

Naruto shrugged his worries off stating that if he didn't returned to his guild soon, he would create something similar here once he befriended most of the village, or at least the other ninjas.

She shivered at such idea, knowing the skill the gaki had to make friends out of enemies, and she considered if bringing him back to Konoha as a first option could be as dangerous as Pein's invasion for the village's infrastructure well being.

The answer would have been a rotund 'heck no!' had she known the relation the dragon twins had with property damage back in Earthland.

"Hey Tsunade-baachan, the cyclops is not doing his job!"

Her eye twitched at the return of the nickname. She would make sure to let Jiraya know her discomfort at signaling her as his teammate in front of the gaki, letting him deduce that they were of similar age.

Well, at least now was using the door, small victories, she guessed.

"I bet he's just enforcing the basics, you have to-"

"Nu-uh, he's torturing me with that tree walking thing for burning that perverted book of his."

"You must be overlooking something, he's… wait, what?"

"I've already got done the three basic academy jutsus, but I can't make more than two decent bunshin, so he told me that my problem was about catra control and that I had to work in that because the academy standard is three."

"It's chakra Naruto, not 'catra'."

"Whatever, so he taught me that tree climbing thing that was cool at the beginning, but now it's just agonizingly boo-ooring, all because I discovered that his orange book was actually porn and burnt it."

"Oh, so he did that?" then she smiled kindly, and asked in an overly sweet voice that sent shivers down his spine "And how, may I ask, you discovered the contents of said book?"

"Emm… ehhh… you see… emm… Igotcuriousandboughtoneofthebooks"

"Oh, you did so?" she clearly understood the whole sentence, being already used to similar reactions from others.

"Yeah… but I also burn it when I saw what was written in it!" he said hurriedly again "worst spent money ever" he added as an afterthought.

Tsunade eyed him carefully for a second or two, before nodding in satisfaction.

"I hope so… so Kakashi did that? Well, let's prove what you claim, do each of the basic jutsus here, first go to the door and use kawamiri with the chair."

Naruto did as he was told, but instead of any known handseal he just held his hand in front of him, only the index and middle fingers lifted, and a small seal array appeared on the chair before Naruto appeared on its place, making Tsunade jump in her place a bit startled.

"What was that?!"

"You guys use that catra thingy to do your jutsus, but instead I use magic power, fueled by Eternano, and it reacts differently when I mold it to do your techniques. It seems that once I practice the jutsu enough the Eternano kind of memorizes it and then I can cast it like the rest of my spells only thinking about it, I added that hand thing so it would look like what you do, and because it looks badass, cool huh?"

Tsunade's brain worked overtime at that small explanation… oh the possibilities in such little details. There was no _poof_ of smoke or need to call neither the technique name nor the chain of handseals to cast it, stealthier escapes that would give an extra edge on narrow situations...

If trained correctly such a simple jutsu could become an assassination one on his hands.

"Now do a Henge" she ordered, doing her best to hide her growing interest and expectation to what the gaki could do now.

Naruto nodded and once again did that one hand seal and another shiny seal array appeared, this time under his feet, and a golden light engulfed him for a second before it died down, and then there was Kakashi in front of her.

"Yo!" he greeted in his usual lazy and bored self, and even took out that small orange book from his kunai pouch and started reading it in front of her.

"K-Kakashi? Or is it you Naruto"

The lazy jounin only gave her his trademark eye smile before turning a page on the book and resuming reading.

Tsunade concentrated on sensing the chakra of the ninja in front of her, and was surprised to find that it was Naruto's mixed with that weird energy she supposed was the Eternano he kept talking about, and it took a solid shape, like some kind of hard shell around him.

She was debating between being awed by the display of mastery, or punching the boy for reading that damned book in front of her so carelessly. After some thought she decided that he needed him concious to get some answers.

"H-how… a Henge is only an illusion to make someone look like others, but you…"

Naruto released the henge and started explaining.

"There is a guy back in the guild named Gray, he uses a type of magic that is called 'Ice Make'. His imagination lets him create things made of ice out of nowhere, so when the cyclops explained me how the henge was supposed to let you 'transform' into other things, I thought of 'constructing', like Gray says, a kind of costume of what I wish to transform into, and it seems it worked" he finished with a grin, before showing her the orange book that somehow stayed even after the Henge was released.

"I even managed to build this up from magic power, somewhat like what Gray does I think, but it still costs a bunch of energy to do, and it's not perfect but, well… it's something, I guess" then he adopted a thoughtful expression "That other weird girl, Hinata I think, once looked me with that weird eyes of her and told me I had a lots of energy, but she kept saying it was that catra, and was also muttering something about coils, but I didn't paid attention. It was pretty boring."

"How long can you keep the henge up?"

"Huh? Dunno, I feed the transformation with magic, so I guess it's fine until I stop it, but the stuff I create are actual things so they stay even after I release the transformation" he again waved the little orange book in front of her.

She was starting to get angry at his chose of demonstration.

"But like I said it's quite heavy in my reserves to do… once I get back I'll ask the ice princess to help me with that."

"Wow…" was all she said after taking the book of Naruto's hand, it was actually solid, and to her surprise only the first chapter was written there, the rest were only blank pages… so that's what he meant with 'no perfect copies', but anyway, this could rival the Yang release in the field of creating things out of chakra with the use of mind, if trained further of course… just what kind of place was where things like this were normal?

"Now do the bunshin."

She was too excited to see the next jutsu that she didn't cared to hide her expectncy this time, that made Naruto puff his chest in pride before getting a serious face and actually do handseals.

When he held the last one, another shiny seal floated in front on his hands, and then two other Narutos stepped out of him, no smoke, but this time he did called the name of the jutsu.

Slightly disappointed she stepped to the clones to check they were actually normal bunshins, the way he casted the jutsu was impressive, silent and all, but not that outstanding like the other two.

"So far I can't create more than two, I put as little juice on each one as I can, just like Kakashi told me, but like I said only two come out, the third disappears as soon as it appears or don't appear at all."

Then he released the clones and they just vanished like ghosts in thin air. Tsunade, being used to the usual _poof_ of smoke, was a bit unnerved by this, she had to admit it was creepy.

"I know what your problem is, and I think I have also an answer to it… follow me" Tsunade said, walking to a random wall in the room, and stood there doing some handseals that made a seal shine. Then, after a click sounded, the wall opened just like a door, showing a hidden room behind it.

Naruto followed Tsunade into the dimly lit room, looking in awe all the scrolls neatly organized on tables and stands, but a particularly big one they were walking towards caught his attention.

It was weird he found himself drawn to it, as if it contained something he needed to know, but he shrugged the sensation as excitement at what kind of technique could a scroll that big contain.

He was woken up from his little world when Tsunade spoke, already lifting and strapping the scroll to her back.

"Your problem is that you simply have too much chakra, or whatever energy it is that you use, and even if you somehow managed to do two clones your overall control over such large quantities won't allow you to do more than that, or even use the jutsu correctly during a fight."

Naruto looked downcast by this, so he couldn't use that jutsu because of something he could not control? Well, that sucked, he would have to do without it then.

"But there's a technique that could work perfectly for you, it's prohibited to other ninja because of the high cost to perform it in chakra terms, but with the huge reserves I can feel you have inside, you could actually spam it" Tsunade said once again walking, now outside the room, and Naruto quick on her trail, once again exited at the idea of learning something new.

After sealing the secret room again she went to her desk and, tapping a button there, she called for Shizune.

The Hokage's apprentice and assistant almost ended face first on the floor thanks to the chair that was still in front of the door and her hurriedly entrance to the room, but thanks to her ninja training (and in a display of great flexibility) se managed to support her body in one hand and twist in a way that let her end crouched in front of the chair.

Then, with an indignant huff, she put the chair back on it's place and directed a glare at the now sheepish looking Naruto and amused Tsunade.

"I will be out with Naruto for the rest of the day, so cancel any meeting and make known that whoever who tries to interrupt my time with the gaki will have a painful ticket to the hospital, am I clear?"

Shizune just nodded and stomped out of the office, still clearly annoyed at the small unconscious trap settled for her.

Tsunade just shrugged it and grabbed Naruto's shoulder, shunshining both to a random training ground without previous warning.

* * *

"Geez, at least you could have told before the pull" Naruto said, shaking his head to wear off the drowsiness that came over him with the sudden fast movement.

"Don't complain, you are here to learn a new jutsu right?"

"Hell yeah! I'm all fired up! What will it be? Summon a super weapon of mass destruction? A beam of energy that destroys everything on its path?"

Tsunade only chuckled and shook her head.

"Nothing of that Naruto, I'll teach you how to do the Kage Bunshin no jutsu"

"Bunshin... More clones!? But I can't do more than two!"

He whined before Tsunade smacked his head, sending him to the ground and forming a small crater on impact.

"Ittai… why was that for?" the blonde said, nursing a large bump on his head while dusting his hair from dirt.

"If you pay more attention to what others say, things like that wouldn't happen to you. Like I said before, being a forbidden jutsu this is a different kind of bunshin, this one uses a much larger amount of chakra than the normal one does because, instead of only illusions you are creating solid clones, with their own core of energy and capable of attacking your opponents. With your massive reserves this will be easier to learn than the normal bunshin, and it will also give you an extra help that I will show you once you manage to learn it."

"Ok, I'm sure I'll get this done on a couple of hours top."

"It's good you are confident in yourself Naruto, but this is an A-rank jounin Kinjutsu, the most talented ninja would take more than a couple of weeks to try it at it's most basic level, I'm only doing this because our Naruto had a similar situation with his amount of chakra, and it seems this would also work with you."

"Wanna bet? If I manage to learn it in that time you will have to teach me that teleportation jutsu you always use, what do you say?"

Tsunade knew she shouldn't, but couldn't help but consider it… damn, she knew better than to make bets with Naruto Uzumaki, but maybe, just maybe that damned luck left him when he arrived on that other world he so much claims he was in, hell, maybe that luck thing was only an Uzumaki thing (even if she doubted it after the end that Kushina had… poor girl) but now that he claimed his name is Naruto Dragneel, maybe she could finally get him back for that stupid bet that put her in all this mess years ago.

"And if I win?" she asked, practically sealing the deal between both.

"Weeell, you're always complaining about paperwork right? Then how about I do it instead of you for a whole week if you win?"

"Deal" she answered immediately, not stopping to really think about it once a chance of finally getting rid of her damn white nightmare presented to her… no more giggles, no more giggles…

"But you will have to learn it alone, I'll leave you the scroll and I will return later to check your progress, you fine with it?"

"Uh-huh" Naruto answered absentmindedly, already checking the information on the scroll.

She only smirked and shunshined away to a bar, first day of her vacation week was meant to celebrate.

* * *

_(Time skip: 1:30hrs)_

After some cups of sake (not enough to smash her, but enough to make her feel woozy) she decided to better go check on the gaki, sure that she would find him still struggling with the jutsu.

She knew the story that he learnt it alone in a matter of hours, but she always believed that it was an exaggeration from Iruka, seeing how he cares for the kid and would like to increase his self esteem.

Taking that in consideration she decided to spare Naruto from the paperwork, and even help him learning the jutsu if he had made noticeable progress during the time she was out.

She could hate the paperwork, but Naruto had not done anything to condemn him to such torture... at least not yet.

Her brain stopped to work properly once she arrived the clearing where she left Naruto earlier.

The sight that greeted her was a sea of blonde hair, white scarves and bare chests, some were sparring, others were walking up and down trees and others were just talking between themselves while still checking the scroll of sealing.

One tried to sneak up on her, but she noticed him and, acting on reflex, she punched the clone, but instead of it disappearing in the usual _poof_ of smoke it turned pitch black and disintegrated.

Then all of the other Narutos stopped what they were doing, and said as one "Hey Tsunade-baachan, looks like I won!" and just like the one she punched, the other clones turned black and disappeared, while the only one left picked his waistcoat from the ground and put it on after dusting it.

For a moment he stumbled and put a hand to his head, but then he was fine again and walked towards Tsunade with a shit eating grin on his face.

"H-how did you knew I was here?"

"The bonus of the Kage Bunshin, the one you mentioned earlier I guess, they transfer memories once they disappear right? Kindda noticed it by accident… I can be very harsh with my own critics it seems…" he mumbled more to himself, but she heard it anyways and raised an eyebrow.

Looking that Naruto wouldn't tell more about it she just shrugged.

"No more bets with you… ever. And what about those clones? Why they turned black and faded when they were dispelled?"

"Aren't they supposed to do that? I mean, they are called _shadow clones_ for something right? So I thought I had to make them from shadows… is that wrong?"

"D-did you read all the instructions on how to mold the chakra for the technique?"

"Nope, too long and boring, so I jumped straight to the hand seals and guessed that I needed to send my magic power into the shadows to make them take the form of a clone… you were right on that thing that it was easier to pour more juice into this ones to make them solid."

"C-can y-you show me how you do them?" It all seemed so simple to Naruto, but to make clones out of shadows? Not even the Nara clan tried such a thing, for it would take far much chakra than a Kage Bunshin, even if they were the default shadow users of the village.

To manipulate shadows to even form clones, with the same special properties of the Kage Bunshin? In theory these were _shadow clones_, clones made of shadows, but this new branch should be cataloged as a totally new kind of Bunshin, at least in her opinion.

"Sure" Naruto answered, all that reasoning not taking Tsunade more than a few seconds, and she paid clear attention to how he casted the jutsu.

"_Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"_

The usual cross shaped hand seal was done by his hands, but again a shiny seal array appeared in front of it.

She, subconsciously expecting the usual poof of smoke, thought that the jutsu didn't worked when that didn't happened immediately after, but her trained eye caught something jump from under Naruto's feet, no… from _inside_ his shadow, but so fast she almost missed it, and then another Naruto was standing next to the original.

Obviously surprised by the... _unique _way it was summoned, she started poking the clone everywhere, and besides noticing that it was solid, she also took notice how toned was Naruto's body.

He should have finally had someone who cared about his nutrition, and someone who took care on his training too, that idea made her smile.

"H-hey! Stop it Baa-chan!" The clone said while blushing a bit "This is just like that Ino girl and I didn't signed for that, I'm leaving boss" and then the clone dispelled itself like the others.

When Naruto received the memories he also blushed a bit and scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"D-don't that again Tsunade-baachan, it felt awkward, almost like when that girl Ino…" he then blushed even more and hid his face behind his scarf.

Tsunade smiled kindly and shook her head in amusement.

"Then why don't you use more clothes on? I'm sure many other girls here would be more than happy to have a chance to do the same."

"W-what?! Why?" Tsunade gave him a deadpan look but he seemed as oblivious as always of her reasoning.

Was that kind of clothing that usual on that other world?

Naruto looked downwards and started playing with a small pebble on the ground with his feet "Is it because how I dress? But I have to… Natsu-nii uses the same outfit I use, but with different colors, and I like this clothing, but also I use it because of my magic, it increases my body heat naturally, and I also generate more heat than Nii-san so I can only be cool on this clothing, any more and I start to feel uncomfortable."

"Then what about that scarf? Wouldn't be better if you just took it off?"

"No way! That's different! This was a gift from our father before he left…" Naruto suddenly looked a bit downcast, but cheered up a bit after after his face took an expression like remembering something.

"He was… no, he IS a great dad, big and powerful… he was the one who taught us our magic and kept us safe, even Kurama once fought against him!" he then signaled her to lean closer and he whispered on her ear as if it was one big secret.

"Don't tell him that I told you, but he can transform on a really big fox with six huge tails, but not as big as dad".

Tsunade jerked her head so fast it almost snapped, and stared wide eyed and gaping at the blonde in front of her, perfect impression of a fish, while trying to process the idea of something _bigger_ than the damned _Kyuubi no kitsune._

"Who or _what_ on the nine hells is your father Naruto?"

"Ehh… you won't believe me…" Then his smile dropped and his face turned to the ground, a sad visage on it "nobody does…"

Tsunade, noticing it, put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and when he turned to her she smiled reassuringly and nodded, trying to make him see that she would listen and understand him, no matter how crazy what he was going to tell her was going to sound.

Naruto felt unsure at first, struggling between telling her about Igneel or keeping silent, but when the expression her face remained even while he was taking his time to choose the doubt vanished.

That face told him that she would support him and that he could trust her.

It was weird because, even in the guild, when he and Natsu spoke about Igneel, most of the people there would usually give them looks of 'stop making that up' or would only snort as an answer, not because they mocked them, but because they could not believe them.

It took Gajeel and Wendy to join the guild for everyone else, besides the master, to even consider the idea, but this old woman in front of him (even if she used an illusion to hide her true age) that he only knew for a bit more than a week showed him such trust that it felt weird… were they so convinced he belonged here?

He shook the idea off and refocused on the present.

Tsunade-baachan was still waiting for an answer, so he inhaled deeply and let the air out slowly.

"My father… is a dragon" he then closed his eyes to not see her trying to hold her laughter or see that deadpan look most would give him.

How surprised he was when she only whistled, not in a mocking but in a surprised way.

"Now that I look carefully, that scarf looks scaly... and also has a weird energy stored on it… a dragon, huh? Does he have a name?"

Naruto stared at her dumbstruck… was she serious? Did she really believed him?

The biggest smile he had came to his face, and then he started to speak excitedly, happy that for once somebody paid interest on the story of his father.

"Yeah! He's called Igneel and he's the king of the fire dragons, one of the strongest there are!"

"So, there are more dragons?"

"Yeah, or at least there were… some years ago they all disappeared and nobody else saw any of them again. Natsu-nii and I are looking for Igneel along with Happy and Kurama, but there are also other Dragon Slayers who are looking for their dragons too."

"Dragon Slayers? I thought you were their sons."

"We are, it's just the name of our kind of magic. It's called like that because its dragon magic, and only a dragon can kill another dragon."

"Oh… so, are this other Dragon Slayers your friends?" she said while sitting cross legged on the ground signaling that she would hear all he had to say, he followed her example and kept talking while sitting on the ground too.

"Well… there are other two on the guild, one is Gajeel Redfox, son of Metalicana the iron dragon, he's not exactly friendly but he's fine, I guess, and there's also Wendy Marvell, daughter of Grandeney the sky dragon, she's a nice little girl and everyone on the guild likes her, it's kindda a bit of weird stories of how each one got admitted in the guild."

"Go ahead and tell me Naruto, I'm all ears."

"Well, if I'm going to tell you then I guess I'll have to tell you the whole story right?"

Tsunade nodded eagerly despite herself and Naruto started to tell her his adventures on Earthland.

* * *

He started his tale with his first clear memory in the forest, not really remembering much before that, and how he met Kurama and Natsu there, being taken to meet Igneel by Natsu not much later, and then being raised by the dragon after Kurama fought against him for his sake.

This surprised Tsunade since she always believed that the fox was a selfish and arrogant being.

Then he moved onto how 'Makarov-jiji' found them on the forest, a year after Igneel disappeared, convincing him and Natsu into joining Fairy Tail, and the fox following them because 'they wouldn't be able to tell a door from a window without him'.

It was interesting hearing about the friends they made there and the jobs they did, but it perked her curiosity hearing about how they thought a close friend died, only to find her years later on another world.

"I'll explain that later" was all he said at the moment.

After a small rest, where Naruto went to get something to drink for both from a conveniently close-placed soda machine, he started with most recent events, starting on how he met a girl called Lucy when he went to a town along with his brother, following a rumor that could possibly lead them to Igneel.

Tsunade resisted the urge to facepalm at the idea of even considering to find a massive dragon on a city.

He kept talking, totally oblivious of their foolish reasoning at the time, on how they saved her from getting kidnapped and convinced her to join the guild, and then spending some time telling how cool and awesome (and scary sometimes) she was.

Tsunade noticed a crush right away, if the slight blush on his face while he kept talking about her was any indicator, but decided against teasing him with it.

The gaki was opening to her and telling his life, the least she could do was listen without interrupting.

Finishing with what seemed to be an endless serie of praises to the girl, he continued with some missions he went to with his guild mates, who he fondly called his _nakama._

She knew what nakama meant as a word, but that guild seemed to have given a special meaning to it, something akin to the Will of Fire according to Naruto's explanation.

And then the 'cool jobs', as he called them, started.

First they had to stop a 'dark guild', something akin to what Akatsuki was in the elemental nations but in mayor quantity there, after they stole a flute called 'Lullaby' which was an artifact that could kill whoever listened it's sound, and after a long chase his team (Erza, Natsu, Grey, Happy, Kurama, Lucy and him) stopped them from killing the guild masters, who were in a meeting (huh, what was it with the evil guys attacking leaders meetings) only to said flute transform into a huge monster/demon that tried to kill them all, but they stopped it nonetheless.

People trying to control demons to kill or gain power over other people... where did she heard of it before?

Then how Happy, the exceed friend (fling cats he hastly explained) of his brother, stole an S-rank job for them.

Tsunade almost smacked him again for being so reckless.

They traveled to an island where they fought against an old friend of Gray, the guy of the Ice Make magic, that tried to resurrect a demon called 'Deliora' that was defeated by their (Gray's and that other guy's) master when she sacrificed herself to stop it, just to prove that he was better than her and Gray, only to find later that the demon was already dead, and, being defeated, said old friend decided to join another guild and get stronger in the right way.

Sometime later after that they found that one of his guild mates was really a celestial spirit, something similar to summons she summarized after the vague explanation Naruto gave her of keys opening doors for them to appear and help them, and confessed that he didn't knew really what happened besides that Lucy saved him from dying and that she met the King of the spirits while doing that, something similar to a boss summon, and gaining him as another summon he really didn't left the guild, but was like some kind of reinforcement.

Loke (the guild mate/celestial spirit) then gave them tickets to a vacation resort, and deciding the could take a small vacation they traveled there, only to meet some of Erza's childhood friends (only then he explained that she was a mage that could 're-equip' many armors and weapons from something like a pocket dimension) that worked on a weird tower, their goal being to resurrect some powerful dark wizzard, the equivalent of Madara Uchiha to them, called Zeref, and how his group had to fight against them, just to learn that the one behind all that was another old friend that Erza thought was dead called Jellal, but in the end Natsu defeated him and saved Erza, while he had to face other enemies along with the other people on their group.

Not long after that, another Guild called Phantom Lord attacked their guild building and harmed a group of their guild mates, making Makarov-jiji (their 'Hokage' or Guild Master) so mad that he declared war against them, but he was gravely injured during their first fight, forcing them to retreat.

Sometime later they fought against them again, when they attacked the whole city where their guild was placed, with some kind of robot (surely some kind of puppet) that shoot lasers with enough power to destroy the whole town, only because they wished to take Lucy away from them.

He and Natsu faced some mages called 'the Element four' (Naruto said '4 basic elements', but why wasn't Lightning included there?) to stop that robot-machine thing from firing another laser after Erza singlehandedly stopped one of those. He and other guild matese defeated the remaining ones while Natsu faced the other dragon slayer, Gajeel, but Naruto took his place sometime later while Natsu decided to face the other guild's Master, someone called Jose Porla who was also part of the wizard saints.

Lucy (She really seemed to appear every time, hmmm... was it because she played a role there, or he noticed her more because of his crush?) helped him defeat Gajeel, and Natsu stalled the other guild master enough time for Master Makarov to recover and finish the fight with a super powerful spell (as Naruto called it) named 'Fairy Law', and some time after that Gajeel and one of those Element four mages called Juvia Loxar joined the guild.

Then he told her how Laxus, the master's grandson, and his group called 'Raijinshuu' (The thunder god tribe) forced them to fight each other to save their guild girls from a spell that transformed them into stone statues during a beauty contest (o.O).

Him and Natsu were unable to do much at first because some runes kept them out of the fight, trapped inside the guild building, until another guild mate called Elfman defeated Evergreen, the one who casted the spell, and the girls unfroze, letting one of then called Levi rewrite the runes so they could help the rest (what the hell are runes? By what he said they seem to be something like sealing) and then how Laxus went nuts after his first plan failed and tried to detonate the whole city, but he and Erza 'sacrificed' themselves for the safety of the city and their guild mates, detonating the lacrimas (huh?) and receiving all the damage themselves, letting Natsu fight against Laxus, who in the end was another Dragon Slayer that unlike them had no dragon to teach him, but a lacrima (again that? What IS a lacrima?) that gave him the powers, and then once again the master ended the fight, but this time talking to his grandson, and expulsing him from the guild.

After that they faced another dark guild called Oración Seis, and even made an alliance with other guilds to fight against them, discovering that they were after some ancient magic called Nirvana that basically turned good into evil and evil into good.

They even met again with Jellal, but this time he helped them.

He had to fight against a guy called Brain to stop him from trying to turn Natsu evil, and somehow he defeated him, but when the rest of the alliance defeated the other members of the dark guild that Brain guy woke up again and started to call himself Zero, more powerful and agressive than before, but this time it was Natsu who defeated him with the help of Jellal and some weird flame that gave him more power, then they destroyed that Nirvana thing and saved the world, Jellal got arrested and Wendy joined Fairy Tail along with another exeed called Charle.

Then came their incursion on that other world called Edolas that he had explained before, so she was somewhat familiar with all he told her now, she only noted important now how that girl, Lissana, that they thought was dead was actually in that other world, and how the guy he compared Kakashi with, Mystogan, was actually Jellal's counterpart on Edolas, and was even a prince, and that the exeeds were originally from that world.

He explained how in the end they defeated the bad guys, how in a massive collaboration attack he and Natsu, with the help of Gajeel and Wendy, defeated another robot (what the HELL is a robot!), now with the form of a dragon that was commanded by the mad king of that world, who wished to steal the magic from Earthland, and then they destroyed the machine that created the portals that sucked up the magic, and how it reversed then, sucking all with magic back to Earthland, so they returned back to home like nothing ever happened.

Well, besides 'Lissana-neesan', as he called her, returning home and all the exeeds now living there on a forest… oh, and Panther lily now becoming Gajeel's friend and also joining Fairy Tail.

And finally he ended with his brother leaving for the S-rankg trial, something similar to the Chunnin exams, so he could raise on rank to be an S-rank mage, able to do higher ranked jobs, and him being sucked up into the Elemental Nations while returning from doing a job.

It was far past midnight when he finished, but Tsunade didn't minded it, the boy had opened to her and she was thankful of that.

* * *

"Hey baa-chan, in the end you never taught me that teleportation jutsu!"

"Don't worry Naruto, go rest and seek me tomorrow morning on the Hokage tower, I'll train you personally and also give you a new teacher."

"Ok" he said while yawning, he was kind of sleepy after all "See ya' tomorrow then" and then he started to drag his feet back to his apartment, clearly exhausted.

Once he was out of sight, Tsunade let the tired sigh she was holding out.

"He really has a life and a family there, and he also was so happy telling me about all what he went through with that weird group of people…is it fair to take him away from that because we miss him?"

She shook her head and tried to think of something else, of course he needed to stay, he belonged here after all! But she couldn't help but feel guilty when she remembered with awe all that Naruto told her he experienced on Earthland.


	4. Breaking some more standards

**(A/N): Hey! finally uploading (finally!) I tried to do that yesterday but due to some... technical problems, I guess, I couldn't log in, so here it is the new chapter, a day later than first planned... sorry for not uploading before but well, time was not on my side, but on a brighter note it seems I have some talent to become a Barman :D Who would have thought? anyways, back to the fic... last week I only got one review, not complaining, but after getting 4 for only one chapter, it felt kindda sad, and like nobody reclaimed about that large part on the end of the last chapter I can deduce that either it was not that bad, or that nobody read it, I hope it was the first one, anyway, hope you like this new update, I even searched for a music theme to accompany one part of the chapter, and I also got part of the next chapter done in a notebook, so maybe it will come out sooner than this one, first I have to finish it and then edit it, I don't know how that 'Beta reader' thing works so I do it alone, if someone could explain me that I would be relieved, editing is kindda the hardest part of this, adding and taking things out of the first plan is, if not boring, a long process that takes quite some time... well, the only review I got before was answered in a PM but I guess it has a good point, maybe some people gets confused with all that space-time-dimmension hopping thing I did for the fic, so here's a small sumary of the base plot.**

**In the elemental nations had passed only 4 years since the group of 7 (Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura, Lee, Shikamaru, Hinata and Sasuke) returned back in time, with the help of Naruto's humongous chakra reserves and some kind of extra use they discovered in the Hiraishin seal array, but Madara Uchiha attacked them just when they were about to do the jump, so Naruto stalled him enough time to let them return while he jumped heavily injured by Madara, the mix of Kyuubi chakra healing him, the space-time distortion and the injury itself ended in Naruto arriving in Earthland at the age of 5, with Kurama out of the seal with the physicall aspect of an Exeed and Naruto without memories.**

**Now, like Earthland is another world in another... dimension you could say, the time span there is different than in the Elemental Nations, so when that time-space portal sucks Naruto back in the Elemental nations he is 16 years old, just like the others there, but he had actually spent 11 years on Earthland rising with Natsu and Igneel, now this fanfic doesn't follow the cannon of the war that is on the manga or anime, well, not totally, it's another story were Naruto managed to make Sasuke return to Konoha some time after their encounter on the bridge after the gokage summit, so don't confuse yourself with this and the cannon **

**Thanks butterflypuss for making me notice that :D, today there's not special anounce for Jarvis so let's go on**

**"But hey! I want to-" **

**Like I said, he doensn't want to appear here today, so don't forget to like the story if you like it and review... please review... preety please with cookies on top? Oh really, this is the last chapter of the introduction arc, from the next I start with the meld between some of Shippuden's plot and Fairy Tail, and someone will make his/her appereance during a very well known test... who will it be? what test? wait another week for the next chapter hehehehe ... ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**Disclaimer: Nah, still don't own Fairy Tail nor Naruto, last plan didn't worked... who would have thought changing the name on every manga and anime on internet would take so much time?**

**Update 20/03/2015: Experimental arrange of the chapter, hope now it is easier to read and understand without the large amount of words compacted in long sentences :D, also thanks to Third Fang for giving me permision to use his OC's at some points of the fic, if you haven't read 'Yet again with a little extra helps' and after that 'Round two, take two' you HAVE to, it's the log will. **

* * *

_"All my life, I've been protecting others... but now, there's no one left to protect. Maybe... it's time I shape my own story"_

_Auron, Kingdom Hearts 2_

* * *

Chapter 4: Breaking some more standards

Kurama finally got some time alone. Not that he wished to ditch Naruto, but since all this mess started he had to be glued to the blonde teenager day and night in fear that any Konoha-nin would try and play dirty to make Naruto stay.

But now he had sent Naruto to Tsunade, and he trusted the old hag enough to let her take care of Naruto, so now he finally had some time to relax and check the village.

After he suggested Naruto to go directly to Tsunade and tell her about Kakashi, and how he needed some serious training, Naruto darted faster than he had saw him in a long time towards the Hokage tower.

He said that he would go to the forest and relax there, so he would be waiting for him back in the apartment, but instead he silently followed him for a while trying to hear what the villagers were thinking about his return.

* * *

"Was that the kyuubi brat?"

"Nah, that demon was declared dead 4 years ago. Surely the Uchiha heir freed us from him, I heard he returned pretty damaged."

"Then who was that? He looked just like a grown up version of him"

"I've heard rumors that he's called Naruto Dragneel"

"Wasn't that brat's name Naruto too?"

"Yeah, but he was a ninja, this one doesn't have one of those headbands ninja use."

"Then maybe… do you think the boy the demon used to live inside was freed then?"

"If you put it in that perspective… maybe, it would make sense that once the demon was dead the boy he was impersonating would be set free, maybe this is how the boy was supposed to be."

"I've heard my daughter say that he already has a fanclub, and he's not even that known around the village"

"Hmmm, those clothes he use surely could make any girl drool, I guess, but now that I saw him closer, doesn't he looks like… Yondaime-sama?"

"Yeah… there is some resemblance in the hair and the eyes, maybe that's a good sign, I hope he joins the ninja force of the village."

"Naruto Dragneel huh? I look forwards to the boy's development."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

Kurama shook his head in irritation. Almost every other villager that saw him said that Naruto was possessed, or that the _demon_ had the boy captured and he took his shape, or things in that line of thought.

They were all fools, even more than Ichiya, and that was already something big.

But in some twisted way they also had some truth in their words; Naruto was indeed free from his burden once he 'died' , free from the curse of being a Jinchuuriki, free from promises he made to people that he considered precious to him, but that in the end betrayed that trust… he was free to live a full life this time, and so he did.

He got a true family and friends, he grew up with the warmth of being acknowledged, something Uzumaki strived all his life.

Shaking the depressing thoughts away, and pleased that at least the village meant no harm to Naruto, he went for his small stroll on the forest and then headed to the apartment, ready to take a nap… until he was woken up by a joyful Naruto some time later.

"Kurama, hey Kurama (yawn) wake up!"

"Urgh… come on kit, I'm trying to sleep here"

"But Kurama, it's past midnight! (Yaaaawwwwn) I've been outside with Tsunade-baachan the whole afternoon and night! (Yaaaawwwn)"

Kurama cracked open his eyes, and noticed that despite his exited voice Naruto was barely awake.

His eyes were open just because he refused to close them yet and his clothes were dirty, surely because of some training.

"You should rest Naruto, it seems you are quite tired"

"But Kurama (yaaaawwwwn) I have to tell you…" The words started to sound sluggish, sleepiness was starting to overcome him "She believed me…"

"Who believed what Naruto?" Kurama asked now curious

"Tsunade-baachan, I told her (yaaaawwwwn) about Igneel" His voice was practically a whisper now, he was just about to fall asleep "She… believed me…"

The eyelids finally became too heavy to keep struggling and he closed them, almost falling to the floor if not for Kurama catching him first and taking him to his bed flying. Once he set himself to continue his sleep, Kurama saw Naruto snore softly and with a content smile on his face.

* * *

The next day came uneventfully. Naruto woke up quite early feeling fully rested, which he found weird because of the hour he returned the apartment yesterday, but shrugged it off and walked out of the bedroom into the hall/kitchen.

There he saw Kurama, still rolled in himself sleeping on the small couch, and remembering that he would need something for breakfast because today he would train with Tsunade-baachan, he decided that he would prepare something for both of them. He was on a good mood after all and Makarov-jiji was nowhere near, so there was no problem now.

For the first time since he arrived at the apartment he opened the small fridge close to the kitchen, and was surprised to find it filled with food ready to be cooked. Stuff going from vegetables to cooking ingredients he didn't recognized at first sight.

"I don't think this was here when we arrived… well, I'll thank whoever brought this once I find out, but for now… what could I use?" He hummed in thought eyeing the food there for some time, until he decided what he would use and took it out of the fridge to start cooking.

He had finished cleaning and cutting meat and vegetables, and was ready to put the stuff to fire, but then he noticed a small detail he forgot to remember before.

"How did Mira told me to use a kitchen?"

* * *

Kurama woke up with the pleasant smell of house-made food in the air. Curiously it smelled just like Mira's food back in the guild, but after opening his eyes and remembering where he was he dismissed the idea and poked his head over the couch to where the kitchen was.

There he saw Naruto standing with a pot of something on one flame-covered hand, seemingly cooking, while tasting and adding other things to it with the other hand.

The kitchen behind him looked like if someone tried to cook a exploding tag inside it.

"Kit, are you cooking?"

"Yup! I found the fridge full of food so I decided to prepare something for breakfast for the both of us."

"What happened to the kitchen?"

"Well… it kindda exploded a little when I couldn't remember how to turn it on and I tried to set it on flames with my fire, but a weird symbol appeared on the floor and it turned off without even smoking. Soooo I decided to use my fire to cook… quite practical I may say."

He tasted the food once again and nodded in approval "Grab that bowl over there, it's ready" Kurama did as told and Naruto poured some food on it, he smelled it wearily and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"It's not poisoned, stop being such a pussy and eat" and then he grabbed a bowl for himself, pouring some food on it, and started eating.

Kurama licked suspiciously first, but once he tasted the stew-thing that Naruto had prepared his eyes widened, he looked at Naruto, then back to the bowl, and then he started inhaling the food, not unlike Naruto used to do with Ramen.

Once he finished (surprisingly before Naruto) he stretched his paws holding the bowl to Naruto and with an expecting look on his eyes. Naruto understood the unspoken petition and poured more food into Kurama's bowl while grinning, he would even dare to say he saw tears of joy in the small fox's face.

Once there was no more food Kurama finally regained his wits and asked in a bewildered voice "H-how?"

"Well… one day Natsu-nii was away in a mission and I was totally bored, I think you were in the forest hunting or doing something like that, so I saw Mira in the bar also bored and asked her if she could teach me how to cook. The days I used to arrive late at home I stayed at the guild's kitchen with Mira, then… was it that good?"

"Damn it kit, had I known you were such a good cook… wait, if you knew how to cook then why you never prepared something?"

"Makarov-jiji once entered the kitchen when I was finishing cooking, and he said that if I didn't made the kitchen explode while doing it then it deserved to at least be tasted. After he ate all I prepared by himself he made me promise that I would never prepare something to others until I made S-rank mage while crying. He mumbled something about other guilds trying to kidnap me if they ever tasted my food or massive guild migrations because of me…"

Kurama only raised an eyebrow, but decided to not keep questioning about that. Naruto was an excellent cook and he had him for himself, that was all that mattered right now.

"Hey, are you not going to train today?"

"Yeah, Tsunade-baachan told me to…" his eyes widened like realizing something and turned his head to where he knew he would find a clock, and seeing the hour he cursed.

"Shit! I'm late!" and then the door flung open, and a cloud of dust where Naruto was sited was the only proof he ever was on the room.

Kurama then floated to the bedroom and saw outside through the window to spot a distancing trail of dust headed to the Hokage tower, so guessing that was Naruto running he sighed and followed it.

* * *

Naruto arrived at the Hokage tower shortly after his mad dash, and while he got his breath back he greeted the ninja guarding the entrance.

"Yo! Tsunade-baachan told me to look for her here today, where do I find her?"

"Ehhh… Hokage-sama is currently in the mission assignment room" he said while pointing Naruto on the direction of said room looking at him curiously. After thanking him Naruto ran in the direction he was pointed, and shortly after the ninja saw a small flying fox enter the tower.

Wait, a fox... FLYING!?

"Blonde spiky hair, white scarf and a tattoo on one bicep" the fox stated nonchalantly, and the dumbstruck chunnin signaled him on the direction Naruto went some seconds before.

The fox thanked him and kept flying towards that direction, the ninja only shook his head and sighed tiredly "I think I need a vacation."

* * *

"Sorry I'm late Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto shouted as he entered the mission assignment room, all the ninjas there immediately turned and directed him confused and annoyed looks.

"I'm telling you kit, one day that big mouth of yours will bring even more problems than it already does" Kurama said entering the room behind Naruto, then floated over the blonde's head and dropped over it just like Akamaru used to do when he was still a puppy.

"Yosh! I see your flames of youth burning brightly today, Naruto-kun! I promise I'll do my best on today's mission to fan mine and make them burn even brighter!" A weird-looking and over enthusiast guy on a green spandex suit with a green jacket over it said (shouted).

Naruto's eyes fixated on the bowl haircut and in the abnormally huge eyebrows he knew shouldn't exist in a normal world. He immediately catalogued it between Master Bob's outfit and that guy Midnight cross-dressing outfit on his 'most disturbing things ever saw' list… he still couldn't decide if Midnight was a he or a she.

"Emmm… thanks, I think… Lee was it?" Naruto answered/asked a bit afraid of the shining smile the other boy was giving him, and the overdose of green color on his clothes.

"Of course you will do Lee-kun, and if you can't I'll climb the Hokage monument ten times up and down with an arm tied to my back!"

Naruto almost had a heart attack by the sudden outburst from behind him, only to jump back in horror when he met a grown up version of the boy that was in front of him, haircut and eyebrows perfectly emulated, and a disturbing brighter smile directed to him.

"Gah! Bushier brows!" was all he managed to say at the moment. Then the spandex beast jumped to were his mini-me was and kneeled before him.

"Oh no… everyone shut your eyes!" Barked the until now amused Tsunade, and everyone did as she ordered. Well, everyone except Naruto.

"And if you can't do that I'll run five hundred laps around Konoha on my hands, Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed totally oblivious to the panicking ninjas around them.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Naruto!" Naruto shouted his own name, not quite following what was happening, but suddenly feeling as energetic as the weird duo in front of him.

Said enthusiasm was suddenly cut off when his brain froze trying to process the sudden change in scenery in front of him.

Gone was the mission assignment room, and instead he found himself staring at the two spandex green beasts hugging each other while crying in a… manly way, in what seemed to be a shore above the sea. Waves were crashing behind them and the sun positioned on a never ending sunset.

Only once they broke of their hug and sobered everything returned to normal.

Tsunade saw Naruto just standing there, his empty gaze staring at a random point in the room, and if it wasn't for the blinking every now and then she would have confused him for a statue.

Afraid something serious could have happened to his brain after such overexposure to youthness she walked to where he was and made one of her hands shine with a green light to check his status.

The green duo paid him no atention as they kept their tirade of ridicously hard challenges.

"I think they broke him" Kurama said still on his head, determining it was safe to open his eyes again once he heard the room return to a somewhat normal movement noise.

"No, It's just the shock of the first time experiencing the 'sunset of youth', It'll wear off in some more time" she sighed in relief before turning to Shizune, who still had a hand extended waiting for Lee to take the mission scroll.

"Take care of everything while I'm gone with the gaki, if someone insist in seeing me repeat the threat from yesterday" When Shizune nodded Tsunade grabbed Naruto's shoulder and shunshined away.

"Yosh! Gay-sensei, they are going to train and so we should do to keep our flames of youth burning brightly!"

"Then let's go Lee-kun, let's show our youthfulness to the world, and if we can't…" their voices faded in the distance as they shot running out of the office, surely towards a training ground.

Shizune only sighed and put away the scroll that she still was holding on a hand, hopefully Lee would return later.

* * *

When Naruto finally regained consciousness he found himself on what looked to be a training ground, and shuddered at the sudden image that jumped to his mind of two green… things hugging each other. Trying to make the memory go away he started to scan his surroundings and list the usual layout of a training field.

"Training dummies? Check, trees and bushes on the borders? Check, an unconscious white haired guy? Check, a clear spot to spar? Check, a… wait, an unconscious white haired guy?" He walked close to him and recognized him as Jiraya, the perverted teammate of Tsunade-baachan.

"Hey Ero-jiji, are you alive?" Naruto asked while poking a huge lump on his head with a stick he found nearby. A groan and a twitch signaled that indeed he was still alive so he decided to leave the poor old man alone, and since he was already here he would use the chance to train with another jutsu he learned yesterday from the big scroll.

Making his self-created one hand seal three clones jumped out of his shadow (Yesterday he used the hand seal only to show off with Tsunade), and grinning like a madman he gave them instructions.

"Well guys, ya' know the drill. Get some distance between yourselves 'cause this will be a blast, yeah!"

Far away from Konoha, an Iwa S-ranked blonde haired missing nin sneezed.

* * *

"I must thank you Tsunade" Kurama said suddenly while floating besides Tsunade returning from a store in the village, like today's training would be tiring (for Naruto) and would also take great part of the day, she decided to get some snacks for them. Kurama tagged along not wanting to babysit two unconscious men.

"Huh? What are you talking about fox?"

"For listening to the kit yesterday. He's always been reluctant to tell people that his father is a dragon, usually people snort at that or just don't believe him, but according what he told me you patiently listened to him and actually believed his story."

"You should give us some more credit Kyuubi, geez, here we can summon building sized talking animals, you were a proof of that. Dragons existing are not that hard to believe; besides we both know who his true parents are."

"Keep that to yourself Tsunade; you know what I think about that"

Tsunade sighed, but it had tired and resigned tone.

"The boy told me his whole story, and I can understand your reluctance to let him stay. He really has a life made there, and a deep crush on that Lucy girl by what I heard… He really deserves that, specially after what he had to endure on those last weeks…"

"Uzumaki is gone, along with those memories, so leave it like that. I'm sure you will miss him once the time to leave arrives, but it's your time to make a sacrifice to let him be finally happy. Look at it as some kind of making amends with him."

"I know that, and I will support you in what I can. But the others…"

"Don't worry Tsunade" replied Kurama with a soft smile "For now it's enough for me that at least one of you can understand."

Tsunade smirked at the alien expression on the fox face. Well, at least alien for her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now we will start hugging each other" both snorted at the claim "But I would really like to meet this-"

BOOM! A loud explosion sounded in the general direction of the training ground they left Naruto and Jiraya, and after exchanging worried looks Kurama grabbed Tsunade's jacket and dashed towards the explosion flying, while a hysteric Tsunade screamed bloody murder to the fox.

* * *

When they arrived the scene before them wasn't the one they were expecting… Well, not totally because there was indeed a huge crater, surely caused by the explosion, but they also noticed that Jiraya was pale on the branch of a tall tree, hanging in a very similar way to a scared cat looking wide eyed to the laughing Naruto on the ground.

Said blonde was having problems breathing and grabbing his sides, which were surely hurting. Tsunade cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Oh, hi Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto cheerfully greeted once he sobered up a little and managed to breath normally again.

"Care to explain what happened?" Tsunade asked clearly irritated, not that Naruto noticed, and his smile widened even further.

"Well, I was practicing another jutsu I got from that huge scroll you lend me yesterday, but the explosions were not as large as I expected."

Tsunade frowned, another jutsu? So besides learning the Kage Bunshin again he managed to snatch another jutsu from the scroll? She only voiced her more immediate worry "Explosions?"

"Yeah! Oh really, you didn't knew, look _Kage Bunshin no jutsu!_" And doing his one hand personal seal four clones jumped out of his shadow and distanced between themselves. Then he did his one hand seal again and called _"Bunshin Daibakuha!" _

A small shiny magic seal floated in front of his hand and one of the clones grinned and waved goodbye before he went off on a mid sized explosion.

"See? I tried all that came to my mind but it wouldn't grow…"

"B-but Naruto… that explosion was strong enough to take down half the ninja force in Konoha!"

"Huh? But Natsu-nii caused stronger explosions with his fire when he fought against Gajeel."

"Kit" Intervened Kurama "Half the ninja force in Konoha doesn't have fire immunity nor Iron scales to endure it."

"So… the other half has it?" Naruto asked looking exited.

Tsunade, Jiraya and Kurama sweatdropped and facepalmed at the same time "Is he really that idiotic?"

"Sometimes he's just a clone of his brother"

Naruto just smirked and shook his head in an amused way "It's easy to mess with you guys, of course I knew that!"

Well, actually for a moment he considered what he told Kurama, but when he saw the disbelieving looks on their faces he noticed his mistake, but decided against making his realization noticeable. At least he was observant this time, let's give the boy that.

Tsunade growled and her right eye twitched, and she asked in a forced calmed voice "Then what caused _that_ explosion?"

The smirk on Naruto's face disappeared immediately and answered before Tsunade decided to train pain resistance with him.

"The old pervert woke up and told me to compensate quality with quantity, so I did this" He nodded to the remaining clones and they jumped in a pile over an imaginary opponent while Naruto did his handseal again and called "_Tajuu Bunshin Daibakuha!" _

BOOM!

Another crater appeared on the training ground once the smoke and dust cleared, and some debris still fell from the sky. Naruto was again rolling with laughter in the ground and the two Sannin exchanged worried glances while Kurama only rolled his eyes.

"You should have saw the pervert's face! It was so hilarious… I wouldn't be surprised if he pissed his pants with the size of the explosion."

Tsunade then glared at Jiraya, who was glaring daggers at the still snickering Naruto "And you suggested _this_!?"

"I didn't saw the force of a single explosion, I swear! Once I regained consciousness, not thanks to you I might add" He said on an annoyed tone with a small pout now glaring at Tsunade, who glared back and made Jiraya gulp and keep talking.

"He was ranting about weak explosions, so I told him that a lot of small explosions together would make up for a big one" Tsunade eyed him carefully, as if testing if he was telling the truth.

"I'll believe that for now, there's a schedule to clear too and we are just loosing time now, so get you ass down from that tree you old pervert" Then she glanced to the smirking blonde.

"And no more explosions here or there will be no training today" Naruto sobered immediately, stood straight and gave a salute to Tsunade.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Today's training will be a bit different from your usual, so summon as many clones as you can."

Naruto gave her a confused look but nodded and did as instructed "_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"_

But this time, instead of jumping from his own shadow the clones appeared from every shadow around them, even from Kurama, Tsunade and Jiraya's own shadows, making both Sannin jump in surprise and Kurama roll his eyes again while muttering 'showoff'.

"How did you do that?!" Asked/shouted a shell-shocked Jiraya with a hand over his chest, trying to get his heart rate back to normal level and seeing the sea of blonde haired and scarf wearing boys.

"Told you that Eternano was easy to mold, so easy that I can tune it to a strange energy in the air, so I can pull clones from every shadow around me… cool huh?" Naruto said with a cocky grin to the now gaping Sannin.

"Yo-you can use Senjutsu?"

"Sen-what?"

"He said he can tune his magic power to that thing you call senjutsu"

Kurama answered for Naruto, holding himself from face pawing. Surely Jiraya should know that he would be a toad statue by now if he used natural chakra the wrong way.

"He actually doesn't use it, but it helps him working as some kind of conductor, right Naruto?"

"Guess so, you were also the brains so I suppose that's right" Kurama sweatdropped "But yeah, it allows me to pull Eternano into every shadow around me, really useful if you ask me."

"We can discuss the how's later, but now tell me how many clones you've created" Tsunade said.

"Hum… About a thousand I guess" he then turned to a nearby clone "What do you think?"

"Yeah, a thousand" the clone nodded.

"Then five hundred go with Tsunade now" Jiraya ordered, and said woman started walking to another training ground while the clones followed her.

Then the pervert did the cross finger hand seal, and a single shadow clone appeared next to him in a poof of smoke "The rest of you go with him."

After some minutes only Naruto and Jiraya were left in the training ground.

"Sooooo, now what?"

"I'll teach you summoning"

"Summoning?"

"Yeah, look at this" he bit his thumb and some blood spread on his hand, then he slowly started doing the hand seals so Naruto could have a good look and learn them, and finally he slammed his hands on the ground _"Kuchiyoose no jutsu!" _

Kanji spread on the floor forming the summoning formula, and in a big _poof_ of smoke Jiraya appeared on top of a really, REALLY big toad.

"What have you summoned me for this time, Jiraya!" the toad boomed

"W-wait Gamabunta, this is actually something important I need you as Chief summon. Remember Naruto?"

"The brat? He haven't summoned us for a long time. Gamakichi misses him greatly"

"Hey! Who are you calling a brat!" Naruto shouted from the ground, shock of the toad's size forgotten at being called brat.

"What I was going to ask…" Jiraya cut Gamabunta to avoid an argument, and gained an irritated huff from the toad boss "Is if Naruto can still summon toads. I'll explain the details later, but something might have happened to him during this 4 years. Even if his name is still on the contract he, maybe, won't be able to keep summoning toads."

Gamabunta looked at Naruto for a while, examining him with a thoughtful face. Naruto remained still and felt nervous under the gaze, he didn't knew why, but he felt the need to pass this 'test' as if it was something really important to him, so he waited the big toad's verdict.

"I can feel something… funny with his chakra, but besides that I can tell no difference at all, so I see no reason for him to stop summoning us" Naruto let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding.

"If that's all I'll go back to mount Myoboku and report Ma' and Pa' the brat's back, they'll surely will wish to hear your explanation later" And not saying anything else he disappeared in a big _poof_ of smoke, making Jiraya fell roughly to the ground making Naruto laugh his ass off.

"Well, you heard him gaki, summon a toad. You already saw the handseals, you need to bite and draw some blood over your hand while doing the handseals to make it work" Jiraya said while nursing his butt, trying to rescue what little dignity he had left after that last embarrassing… incident.

Naruto nodded and bit his finger, and with some blood did the handseals, then planted a hand on the ground and claimed "_Kuchiyoose!"_

A big magical seal array appeared under him, shining and spinning slowly. Really impressive and quite intimidating at first sight… but nothing happened after that.

"Nice lightshow, but you haven't summoned anything… I thought Gamakichi would appear"

"Gamakichi?" After the name was called the seal array reacted. It stopped spinning and shone brightly for a second blinding Jiraya, but once the light died down he saw Naruto standing on top of an oblivious orange, human sized toad wearing a blue jacket.

"Gee… that one was a weird trip. Did you summoned me Ero-sennin?" Gamakichi asked not even noticing the stunned teenager on his back.

A vein bulged on Jiraya's forehead.

"No, it was him" He stated while pointing to Naruto.

"Naruto! Hey bro, what's up? Where have you been all this time? You got all of us worried, even dad… Not that he would ever admit it."

Naruto finally woke up from his shock "Emmm… you're Gamakichi then, right? Nice… Nice to meet you, I guess, name's Naruto Dragneel… man, this is awkward" Naruto said scratching his cheek with a finger

"Hey bro what's wrong? Cut the prank already, it's not funny. You are Naruto _U-zu-ma-ki, _not Dragneel."

"Actually, it's Naruto Dragneel Uzumaki now, his situation is… special now. He's-"

"Memory loss" Naruto cut off Jiraya before he explained further, he had said that he would play along with this until the time to leave came, and he was planning on doing so.

"I've been living somewhere else until I came here by accident, people from the village recognized me and now they are trying to make me regain my memories, but I doubt I will, so I'm trying to make new ones."

Well, that was not a total lie, they really believed he had amnesia, but it wasn't an entire true… he hated lying but the situation called for it.

"And how did you lost your memories? Tell me so I can kick the responsible one's ass" Gamakichi said narrowing his eyes and punching his webbed hand on the ground, making Naruto loose his stability.

"Easy there dude!" Naruto said jumping to the ground "And no, I don't know who or what caused the amnesia… Now that I think about it, I've already been a week and a half here and nobody has told me how I… _lost_ my memories, all I was told is that I disappeared during a mission."

Jiraya got nervous hearing this, how he would react if he was told that it was during a fight with his 'best friend' in a mission to retrieve said 'friend' because he went rouge seeking for power from a public village enemy?

"Ehhh… I think you should ask that to Tsunade-hime, she is… Better informed about that since I was out of the village at the time" Jiraya chuckled nervously under the examining gaze Naruto and Gamakichi were giving him.

"I know you are hiding something Ero-jiji, and I won't let it-"

He became silent on mid sentence, and his eyebrows furrowed. Then he blinked many times before grinning like a kid that got the last candy in the bowl.

"Hey! I know how to do the Shunshin!" And then he proceeded to do an embarrassing victory dance. Jiraya sighed in relief and thanked his lucky star and any deity out there for the perfect timing and the combination of short attention spans and excess of energy… at least for this time.

* * *

On a not so distant alter dimension of that multiverse, a young looking woman with long black hair and emerald green eyes stopped suddenly in the middle of her candy spree, giving the owner of the store who foolishly offered her sweets a breather.

By her side a dragon godess demon... thing, currently the size of a cat, popped it's head out of a medium sized pile of candies next to the woman.

"Squeak! Squeh Squeh Squeak... Chirp?" The small dragon's head chirped to the woman, who nodded and somehow spoke with three lollypops stuffed on her mouth.

"Yeah, I also felt it. Someone is praising us for something we don't even know how to do."

"Squeak! Chirp Chirp Squeak!"

"Yeah! We must celebrate that others realize how awsome we are! Keep the sweets comming, that we haven't even started with the chocolates!"

"Squeak! Chirp!"

The owner of the store wept as he did as told. He knew he had made a terrible mistake the moment he offered a free sample to the woman.

And also realized that he would not get rid of her until she was sated the moment that old man with long white hair and that other guy with the weird trench coat that looked more like a straight-jacket started running and screaming like little girls.

* * *

"Care to show gaki? It's not that I don't believe you but… Well, I don't believe you" Naruto glared at the Sannin and punched a blazing fist through a tree.

It tore through it easier than a Rasengan.

Jiraya paled immediately.

"N-now, don't get me w-wrong Naruto, I'm not doubting your skill, but even being a low ranked jutsu most ninjas only learn it when they reach chunnin rank, and even sometimes jounin level of skill. Even for them it takes months of training to master it" Jiraya lectured, somehow regaining his composure in the process.

"But according to baa-chan, only I can use Kage Bunshin the way I do. Besides…" He grinned and crossed his arms "It's eaaaa…" the word started in front of the pervert, but ended behind him "…syyyy."

Jiraya jumped back startled, taking Naruto to the ground along with him.

"Hey! Careful old pervert!" Said pervert mumbled something about disrespectful brats before getting up.

"It's not fun if you make it look like the jutsu by using those shadow clones of yours."

"That was not a shadow clone Ero-sennin" said a wide eyed Gamakichi, making Jiraya's eye twitch in annoyance "That… that was an afterimage… what the hell have you been doing bro?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly sited cross legged in the ground while it was Jiraya's turn to look wide-eyed the boy in front of him.

"Well, baa-chan explained me that it wasn't actually teleportation, but more like a hi-speed movement enhanced by your catra."

"It's chakra Naruto."

"Whatever… so she showed the clones the seals and let them try it while she started to chat with Kurama. At first I only could run faster, but not make it look like a teleportation, but then Kurama finally decided to help me" He then chuckled evilly "Maybe because some clones decided to start detonating themselves… Hehehe."

Jiraya shivered unconsciously.

"But he told me to try to, instead of focusing my magic power on myself, use it as some kind of hook to the place I want to go, and then let it just pull me."

Naruto remained silent for some seconds before he resumed his speech, but this time from a tree branch on the edge of the training ground, the Naruto sitting in the ground vanished a second later and Jiraya's jaw hit the floor while his eyes almost popped out of their sockets

"It took nearly 300 clones and many nasty landings to finally get it right, but once they got the hang of it things went smoother" again some seconds of silence and the speech continued from Gamakichi's head "But it was well damn worth it, thanks to that weird energy on the air I can mold the Eternano easily without the handseals, the afterimage was a cool side effect for short jumps."

Once again silence, and Jiraya immediately swung his head everywhere searching for the next appearing spot, and finally spotted a shiny spot in the ground not too far from him that looked like some kind of seal, and then Naruto appeared there smirking. He turned and saw the Naruto on Gamakichi's head already fading, and said toad was three shades clearer on the face, with a padded hand over his chest.

"I'll go back now bro, it was nice and all to see you again, but you are starting to creep me out" And with that the toad was gone in a flash of light instead of the usual poof of smoke.

"That's impressive and all" Jiraya said knowing that it was a major understatement, but it seemed like a bad idea to rub the boy's ego "But the time you take to use the jutsu is far too long, for rapid successions, I mean, if you could polish that and the timing between jumps this version of Shunshin could give you a great edge on battle."

Damn, if the gaki perfected this unique variant of shunshin it could easily rival Minato's Hiraishin with that afterimage thing, maybe even become stronger and more dangerous.

Whatever he was thinking was cut off by Naruto's chuckle, only to later see another 10 shiny spots on the ground around him "No way…"

"I was just. Breaking things. Down to you. A bit. Baa-chan and. Kurama almost. Had a heart attack. After seeing this. But it still takes a lot of magic power to do, luckily I have enough to pull that same trick a couple more times."

During that time Naruto's voice seemed to come from every image of the blonde around Jiraya, and when the voice finally stopped moving the only signal that those were no clones was that when Jiraya pocked one of them his finger went through it as if there was nothing, all his demonstration took less than 20 seconds.

"N-now that was something else gaki, and hearing about what Tsunade-hime told me before you have put a total new standard to the basic academy jutsus, and now you have turned a low ranked travel jutsu to a level similar to the Hiraishin, if not higher I would dare to say."

"What's a hirshin?"

"Hiraishin, Naruto."

"Whatever."

"The _Hiraishin no jutsu _was you father's most… sorry, it was the Yondaime Hokage's most deadly jutsu, combined with the Rasengan. It was a time-space ninjutsu that used seal tags attached to special kunai that allowed him to have total control of the battlefield, allowing him to teleport wherever one of that kunai were placed. The yellow trail of light that appeared every time he used it earned him the title of 'Konoha's yellow flash'"

"Kunai is that metal thing that looks like a dagger right?" Jiraya nodded. His sight was lost behind Naruto, like looking or remembering something only he knew with a small but warm smile on his face.

"You seem to be proud of that Yondaime guy, I'm sure he was someone really close to you… was he your son?"

"Kami forbid that! No gaki, Minato Namikaze was his student" Tsunade said entering the training ground along with Kurama, and when Naruto heard the name Minato something reacted inside him, it was a warm feeling that he only related to Igneel, Natsu, Happy and Kurama.

He dismissed it as empathy to Uzumaki once he remembered Jiraya slipped that Minato was Uzumaki's father.

"Good work with the shunshin by the way, you really blew the standards after that small addition you gave it."

"Hehe, thanks baa-chan" He said blushing a bit at the praise, and then got a curious glint on his eyes.

"Hey Baa-chan, the pervert let it slip that the Minato guy is Uzumaki's father… Why I haven't seen him so far? I mean maybe he is searching for his son out there, but he should also have returned during the time I was here right?"

Tsunade gave a sharp glare at Jiraya, who turned to a side with a sheepish look trying to escape her gaze, and then Tsunade turned to Naruto.

"He is dead, he died a long time ago protecting the village from a demon that attacked the same day his son was born… he sacrificed himself to save the whole village along with his wife, leaving our Naruto as an orphan."

Naruto was shocked by this revelation, and didn't noticed the guilty flinch on Kurama's face. But Jiraya did noticed it.

"Want to hear about it gaki? Even if sad, it's a nice story of how they loved their son and village so much that they died protecting both" Naruto nodded absentmindedly and sat in the ground cross legged.

Tsunade gave Jiraya a questioning look but decided to play along and also sit besides the pervert to see what he was trying to get from this.

* * *

Jiraya started explaining what a Bijuu and a Jinchuuriki were, and how Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mother, was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. Then he started with the attack to the village, when a masked man somehow managed to take the Kyuubi out of Kushina's seal and gain control over it.

How Minato Namikaze faced the masked man alone while the ninjas of the village fended Kyuubi off to avoid the total destruction of Konoha, and how he broke the control the masked man had over the fox forcing him to retreat, to then return to the village and take the Kyuubi away from it.

The details of what happened then were not known to him since he wasn't there and only learned about the other fight from what the Sandaime, his old teacher, told him. In the end he performed a sealing that cost his and his wife's lives to put the Kyuubi inside their son in hopes of him becoming the hero of that night, and with confidence that he would become strong enough to harness the Bijuu's power.

Of course Tsunade knew all the details. Naruto told them personally to her along with the rest of his friends during the war after he mastered the use of the Kyuubi's chakra, but she wouldn't unveil that information now.

First because it would blow their cover to Jiraya.

The pervert was no idiot, even if he acted like one, and if she gave him even the faintest trail to follow he would eventually uncover the whole story about their time-travel. But the other, and the strongest reason she didn't gave a deeper explanation from that night was because of the pained face of both Naruto and Kurama.

One was shocked beyond belief, with tears gathering on the corner of his eyes, while the other looked utterly ashamed and regret shone through that red slitted eyes that once held nothing but hate, it would only be worse for them to unveil the truth of that night.

"D-did he have his last wish granted? D-did Uzumaki was seen as the hero?" Naruto fearfully asked while hugging the small body of Kurama like a lifeline. The fox didn't mind being used like a stuffed animal for the moment, too deep on his own memories to care, regret clearly visible on his pained face.

Deep inside Naruto already knew the answer to his questions, but he hoped that intuition was wrong... Sadly it was Tsunade who shattered his hopes this time.

_(Play song: Musique pour la tristesse de Xion – Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Original Soundtrack)_

"No" she answered simply with a sad sigh. Jiraya was too focused on the small fox on Naruto's arms to keep explaining, so she kept talking.

"The pain of the looses was too great for practically the whole village, and not having the fox to vent their frustration in they instead targeted Naruto. He grew up alone and hated by the whole village, and even if the Sandaime decreed a law that forbid the young from learning about his burden in hopes of him having a somewhat normal childhood, their fathers had the idea that Naruto was the fox, not the one who kept him at bay. And even if the didn't openly spoke the truth, they taught to hate and shun him to their childs."

"He… he grew up like me…" Naruto practically whispered only to himself, but Tsunade heard it and frowned. Wasn't he happy in that other world?

"I sometimes have… flashes of my life from before Kurama found me on the forest. Not complete memories, but still… and always they are about people hating me… calling me names, _looking_ at me as some kind of monster… it's always painful to remember…"

Then his expression softened a bit, a small smile came to his face and he hugged the small fox on his arms tighter "But I was fortunate to find Kurama, and then Natsu-nii and Igneel, and the whole guild… they made those painful memories seem like nothing and made me feel loved… they are my family"

Kurama only leaned his head over Naruto's chest and nuzzled there, a relieved smile on his muzzle, but still some pangs of guilt flashing on his eyes. He knew Jiraya had deciphered his true identity by now, and that he clearly remembered, but he didn't cared. He had made Uzumaki's life's a living hell, but now he was making amends with Naruto, trying to procure as much happiness as he could to his blonde kit.

A frown then appeared on Naruto's face "Uzumaki, unlike me, couldn't find a family, but you two along with all the people I met when I arrived here seemed very fond of him… I can understand that the younger ones met him later, that he somehow managed to become their friend as he grew up, but the older ones looked like they could raise him. You, that pervert" he said pointing to Jiraya "the cyclops and many others there that I'm sure knew about his origins. But even then he grew up alone, being the son of a man that everybody looked up to, and also being the one keeping a disaster like that one from happening again… Why?"

"We had to keep his origins hidden from many people… even from himself…" The expression on Naruto's face was like if someone told him that he would never return to his home, utter disbelieve "We needed to keep it a secret for his protection. Minato became the public enemy of more than one nation, and they would have been more than happy to kill his heir, it was easier to keep him safe as another orphan of the Kyuubi attack, that way he-"

"That's bull!"Naruto felt the anger rise within him, no one deserved to have his origins hidden from them, he didn't knew who his parents were, and for a moment he wondered if there was also another version of Minato and Kushina on Earthland, and if they were his parents… But when questions about why he was alone started to rise he dismissed the idea.

He preferred to stick with Igneel and leave his true parentage aside, nobody knew about it and he didn't wished to find out. But Uzumaki's case was something totally different, that small bit of information would have made his life far much better than what Tsunade was telling him, he was sure of that.

"That Minato guy seemed to be important for you two, then why you didn't took care of his son?" Naruto kept on ranting and both Sannin had to look to a side in shame, it was their own selfish pity what condemned Naruto to that life of loneliness.

In Jiraya's case he used his spy network as an excuse to go away from the child. His resemblance to Minato, someone he loved as his own son, was simply too much for him to bear, and in Tsunade's case her self-induced depression and small shell kept her away from Konoha, making her not care about her former home village and leave Naruto alone.

Even being the legendary Sannin, none had the guts to answer him.

"Back in the guild we went to war, TO WAR with another guild because they hurt a group of our family, and wished to take another away from us. We didn't even cared about our guild hall when it was destroyed, you know why? Because we were the ones who made the guild, not the building, and because we cared for each other. And you tell me that because of fear that Uzumaki could be targeted you made his life a living hell? That because you thought he could be killed in revenge you never stood for him, and left him alone to fend himself against the hate of his own home?"

"Please, understand that besides being the Yondaime's son he was also the container of the most powerful Bijuu of the nine! His potential to become a weapon for the village would have made him a living target for every other nation if his parentage was ever revealed!" Naruto's wide eyes made Tsunade realize she gave the wrong answer.

"A weapon? All of this because _I _was your weapon?!" The discussion was so heated up between Tsunade and Naruto, and Jiraya and Kurama were still lost on their own regrets that not even Naruto noticed his own slip.

"Of course not! We all care for him for who he is!"

"THEN WHY!? THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ME!" He stood abruptly with Kurama still on his arms "That could have been us" He added on a low tone, more like talking to himself but Kurama still heard it and flinched as another pang of guilt hit him

"You…" Jiraya finally spoke, but his voice was tired and defeated, totally different from the cheerful and boastful he got used during his stance in Konoha "You wouldn't understand, this is not your world and you won't comprehend our reasons."

Jiraya knew they wouldn't win this argument against Naruto, so he decided it would be better to just finish the conversation there.

For some silent minutes Naruto's eyebrows frowned and he closed his eyelids in deep thought, releasing Kurama in the process, and when he opened his eyes again, flames of determination flared on his eyes with such conviction that the sight reminded the Sannin of the old Naruto.

"I will find Uzumaki no matter what, that's a promise" The relieved smile that came to their faces was wiped instantly by his next statement.

"And then I will take him with me back to Earthland."

Despite the gloomy mood Kurama was in, he couldn't help but facepaw. Only Naruto would come with such answer.

"There he will have a family, friends and he will finally be happy" And turning his back to the two gaping Sannin he started to walk away, Kurama shortly following him.

Some seconds later a muffled explosion was heard from another training ground and a rush of memories reached Jiraya. He stood there wide eyed for a second before he closed his eyes, and a sad smile with a low chuckle came out of his mouth before he shook his head.

"What happened Jiraya?" Tsunade asked in an unusual soft tone to her teammate.

"The gaki did it again, his clones mastered the Rasengan and now he can form it with one hand, besides from now being able to throw it … Not even Minato managed to do that" And with that he stood up, turned and started to walk back to the village, deep in his own thoughts.

Tsunade was about to also leave, but turned once again to the distancing image of Naruto's back and a bittersweet smile came to her face. He had all the right to leave them this time if it meant that he would finally be happy, and despite how much it would hurt her hearth, when the time came she would be there, encouraging him to go and return to his new and better home… it was the least she could do being his godmother.

_(End Song)_


	5. Echoes of war - Shikamaru

_"Can you do it? That darkness comes from your own dark memories. Do you think you can erase your past?"_

_Sephiroth, Kingdom hearts 2_

* * *

Mini chapter: Echoes of war – Shikamaru

"Good night Kaa-san!" Shikamaru called from the stairs to his mother, glad that this night he would actually sleep… they had finally found Naruto, and with him secure in the village walls the matter of his memory was just a thing of time, he was sure they would find a way before the fox discovered they already had a sound plan, and were only stalling for time for Naruto to get his memories back.

He closed the door to his room muffling whatever his mother was screaming to him now and shook his head, a war seasoned jounin doing whatever his mother ordered him to do because he considered it too troublesome to not do so and because he was not a war seasoned Jounin now, he was still just a Chunnin that was pushed by his mother to try the exam to jounin

He let himself fall to his bed, and after once again remembering bout the war his mind wandered to years ahead, to a future they were fighting with all they have to avoid repeating, and to certain blonde haired genin, and how he betrayed his trust thanks to his own trust issues.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

"Shikamaru, I need your brain commanding the squad guarding Suna, with Gaara here in Konoha and most of the ninjas on the main battlegrounds the capitals are vulnerable to Zetsus attacks, specially Suna since without it's Shinobi to use the terrain advantage to protect it has the least Natural defense against enemy troops" Naruto asked him almost pleadingly, surely in behold of Gaara himself

"I know you have already talked about this with Baa-chan and you have permission to go to Kumo to watch over Kurenai until you are really needed on the fight, but please, I can be more calmed knowing that your brains are protecting Suna… please?"

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I have to go to watch over Kurenai myself, that's not up to discussion"

"I-I can send a Kage Bunshin to watch over her, Kumo is hard to reach and she'll be safer there, you know that… ju-just, please… do that for me?" Shikamaru sighed, it was hard for him to refuse his friend's petition, but this was something he needed to do by himself, so he put a hand over Naruto's shoulder and explained himself

"I'm really sorry, but I can't… It's not that I don't trust you…" Actually he trusted nobody but himself to do this, but he wouldn't say that loud "But I have to do this myself… I promised Asuma I would protect the king the day he died, he entrusted me his will of fire and it's my duty, only mine, to do so… I have to be the one watching over Kurenai" and with that he left Naruto on the street to gather with the rest of the team that was going to head to Kumo.

Two weeks later notice reached him that Suna was invaded, and every Shinobi sent there to protect the city died along with half of the civilian population thanks to a poor plan of evacuation formulated by the squad leader… between the dead were Iruka and Moegui along with many Shinobi he knew Naruto befriended during his incursions on the different battlefields, Shinobi Naruto had rescued of what seemed death situations with a smile and cheers for their hard work

The two months he spent in Kumo not even a spy was spotted, he wanted to cry

When he returned to Konoha he feared what would be Naruto's reaction, he heard that Gaara stepped down of the Kazekage mantle and Temari took the hat after him, and he asked to be sent to the front lines to support the other Shinobi on fight, seeing that he had failed as a leader… and Shikamaru knew it was his fault.

When he crossed paths with Konohamaru and Udon, gone was the usual energy and grin that defined him, he looked depressed and cast down along with his friend. He didn't even dared to greet him and it seemed that they didn't noticed it, or didn't even cared about it and passed by his side without even lifting their heads… and Shikamaru knew it was his fault.

When he could no longer avoid Naruto and had to meet with him, the blonde treated him as usual, as if nothing had ever happened, and as if the closest thing he had to a father figure besides Jiraya didn't died because of him, and it was driving him crazy, so when he confronted the blonde about it his cheerfulness was gone, and in a serious tone he said

"You had to do what your heart told you to do, I can understand that" but when he lifted his head to look into his eyes he saw it, the pain, the grief, the betrayal, the storming feelings about him… the hate… Then he turned and was back again on his cheerful self leading him to grab some ramen at Ichikaru's.

He was lying…

He blamed him…

He felt betrayed…

He hated him for it, but he cared for him as his friend…

He knew he could have been the difference during that invasion, but he refused to listen…

He failed to protect the king…

He had failed Asuma…

He had failed Naruto…

… It was all his fault.

_(Flashback end)_

* * *

Shikamaru sighed and turned to a side, where a photo frame was hanging on the wall with the genin team 10

"I won't fail you this time Asuma"

He turned to the window and saw the Hokage monument, lacking Sasuke's head there, and knowing that Naruto's head should have been there instead

"I won't fail you this time Naruto"

He stood up from his bed and jumped out the window, troubled thoughts he knew would not let him sleep this night, and headed towards the most peaceful place he knew, and was not surprised to find the other six travelers there, all with guilty frowns on their faces, all staring at the memorial stone, and his sight locked on the place where Iruka's and Moegui's names would be carved in a future he would not let happen

"It was all my fault…"

* * *

**(A/N): I struggled hard on how to present the war times without interfering with the usual easygoing stile of the fic, because of course it would be angsty, so at first I thought about a one shot, but I know later I would focus on it, another fic could born from it and I would stop posting for this one, sometimes I have the atention span of a goldfish :D, then I thougt "what the hell, I'll put it on the fic itself" but then I couldn't find where to put it, so after a lot of struggle I came with this, there will be 8 about each one of the travelers, maybe 9 if I include Kurama in the mix, and I will see when to put this up, they will be mini chapters like this one not much more than 1.5k words.**

**Next chapter maybe will take a bit longer to uploadbecause it will be larger than the ones I've posted so far (blame my brain for that) but I'll do as much as I can to have it up soon ok? hope you enjoy this, even if it's a bit sad, and don't forget to follow, favorite or review, 10 reviews so far, more than 2k hits on 4 chapters and almost 50 follows/favorites, all of this in one month thanks to you guys, I really apreciate that, so... see ya' later! :D**


	6. The bell test

**(A/N): Yes! I did it! somehow I managed to publish this one during the week! (yay!) and more and more people reads this... already over3k hits, wow, never thought it would reach that number, not much was said about that mini-chapter I posted during the week, so I dunno if it was good, bad should I keep 'echoes of war' or not... in the end that's up to you and your reviews so I really need them to improve this fic, so it can fit your likes; so here it is, the famous (or infamous) bell test... well not exactly _the_ bell test, but... well, you'll get the idea, one of the Fairy Tail characters makes the first appereance here, and that only means I can finally start with the fun :D**

**In respect of the last reviews... thanks guys, thanks a lot; those words make me feel I'm doing a great job so far, and even if I'm not sure the lack of critics is something good or bad, I really hope it's something good; I'm doing my best to keep you content with this sooo thanks to that guest reviewer, whoever you are, sliteyes, butterflypuss your help, even if small, is really apreciated, Sjamie 1398 and ducat of the valley, thanks to guys like you I feel all this is worth the struggle**

**"I must say that... what was I going to say? Oh, here are different points of view about the three days isolation of Naruto that Segaku menssions at the beguining, don't confuse one with another because each one is taken from a different point of view, so you are warned to avoid any brainwrecking paradoz between one and the other says"**

**Well, that's really all I had on mind for this one sooo here we go, Review, like and follow if you like my work, play the songs I suffered so much to find and make fit in the chapters (Yeah, if more appear will aslo be, mostly, from Kingdom Hearts, I really, REALLY like that game and it's soundtrack) and... ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**Disclaimer: Ok, ok, you discovered me, I do own Naruto and Fairy Tail, happy?... nah just kidding, how on earth would I own that?... Or do I?**

**Update 11/06/15: Another chapter revisited, so now it is easier to read (hopefully) next chapter still on work so please have some patience :D**

* * *

_"Oh, it's important to you... ten seconds ago you didn't even knew what it was!"_

_Larxene, Kingdom hearts Chain of Memories_

* * *

Chapter 5: The bell test

Two weeks passed by since Naruto arrived into this new world, and for the past few days things didn't went the way he would have liked them to be.

Counting today it would be three days that he had avoided everyone else like the plage, except Kurama of course, after his… little discussion with Tsunade-baachan and Ero-jiji, and he still didn't felt like facing anyone from the village.

Those words Jiraya said still echoed huntingly on his head… 'You wouldn't understand, this is not your world and you won't comprehend our reasons.'

He was not angry at him, actually it was completely the opposite, him totally agreeing with what he said, and that was the reason he was avoiding contact with anyone.

He was not from this world.

During the time he had spent in the village he started to meet the people that were close to Uzumaki, and during those last days (previous self-imposed isolation) he started to feel strangely attached to them, and also scared of it, since he was getting too comfortable around them.

He even reached the point of getting really exited at the idea of being teamed with any of them and entered into the village's ninja force.

Not even once he lost focus of his goal, he would return to Earthland no matter what, but he was starting to not mind the time it would take…

He looked down with a sigh, spotting the guild mark on his right bicep, and that sight made him feel better, making him remember where he belonged, and who were waiting for him back at home.

With another sigh he decided to lay on the soft grass of the clearing he was training in, crossing his arms behind his head to comfortably watch the clouds pass on the sky.

The sun was starting to hide in the horizon when Kurama finally found him, and noticing the gloomy mood the blonde was in the fox landed next to him, accompanying his silent cloud watching for a while before finally deciding to speak.

_(Play song: Lazy afternoons – Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Original Soundtrack)_

"It's funny, you know..." Kurama suddenly said, making Naruto jump a bit on his place with a start since apparently he didn't noticed the fox sitting next to him.

"It seems there are a lot of worlds out there, we've been to a couple of them now, and in everyone of them the sky looks exactly the same, from the sun and the moon down to the tiniest star… different worlds under the same sky, huh?"

Naruto half-turned his head to his friend and raised an eyebrow, Kurama just chuckled lightly and also turned to him, an affectionate look on his face.

"I know exactly what's going on inside that thick head of yours Naruto, you still look like that small kit I found all those years ago in the forest, and sometimes you are quite easy to read."

Naruto blushed a bit and turned his face up to the sky again while muttering that 'he was no longer a baby'… and pouting.

"Tell me, what's your name?"

The blonde rose an eyebrow, giving Kurama a side glance, not totally turning to face him, but shrugged and answered anyway.

"Naruto Dragneel."

Kurama nodded and pointed to his arm with his muzzle.

"And what does Fairy Tail means to you?"

At this question Naruto uncrossed his arms and sat cross-legged, giving him a confused look, but seeing the expectant look on Kurama's eyes he guessed he would have to answer to know what was going inside Kurama's head.

"It is my home, and the people from the guild are my friends, my family… my nakama. And I would do anything to keep them safe."

His answer was truthful, and noticing the firm certainty on his eyes after he answered, Kurama felt satisfied, so he smirked and floated over his head to rest on his mop of hair.

"Then what's the problem with you befriending the people here? You had just showed me that you know very well where your loyalties are, and I told you to be careful around them, not to isolate until we leave."

"But there will come the time to leave, and I really meant to take Uzumaki with us back to Earthland… they will hate me for that."

The thought of the people here hating him sent a pang of pain through his heart, that alone was troubling him, he still couldn't understand when he became so attached to the people from the village, but he wouldn't back up on the promise he had already done.

Kurama sensed his troubled thoughts, and after getting a bit more comfortable on Naruto's head he spoke.

"You will not gain their hate if he agrees to leave with us, if we find him that is."

"_When_ we find him, Kurama."

"Fine, fine, w_hen_ we find him, because if they truly are his friends, then they'll understand him and won't oppose to his decision."

Naruto thought about that for a moment, and after releasing a sigh that seemed to take away his worries he spoke again, this time a more animated tone on his voice.

"I miss the people from the guild."

Kurama ruffled his hair with a tiny paw while smiling, thanking that his loyalty for his friends remained intact even after his memory loss.

"Yeah, me too… It's just not the same without all the noise and fights huh?"

"Yeah, but once we return I'm soooo gonna beat Erza and Natsu-nii on a fight."

"Natsu? Hmmm… maybe, but Erza? You'll be luckier to separate Kana from her booze."

Naruto jumped to his feet and stuck a dramatic pose, with one arm pointed to the sky with the Fairy Tail signal.

Kurama mentally patted himself on the back, still on Naruto's head, for managing to get him back to his happy and carefree self.

"Not now that I have my ultra secret ninja/mage collaboration/combination ultimate technique!" one of those goofy smiles that made Natsu be Natsu perfectly emulated on his face, and only then Kurama bothered to actually take a look to the 'clearing' they had been talking in that whole time.

His eyes jumped out of their sockets.

"Do I want to know what caused… this?"

"Dunno, It's up to you… but it's damn awesome don't you think? And the technique that caused this it's not even complete!"

Kurama shook his head and got off Naruto's head, his job done, and started to float on the general direction of the village.

"Let's just head back to the apartment ok? I'm hungry and today you have to cook" and noticing the extending grin on Naruto's face he felt he needed to add "And no, you can't prepare ramen tonight, after three days of not eating anything else than that I think I have Miso instead of blood by now."

Yup, Naruto got back his ramen addiction, much to Teuchi and Ayame's delight.

"But I can-"

"Nope."

"And if I add-"

"Not gonna change my opinion."

Naruto's shoulders and head slumped in defeat, but he nodded nonetheless and started to drag his feet back to the village behind Kurama.

The fox had a triumphant smirk on his muzzle, and started to hum a catchy melody that Naruto didn't last much before emulating.

That day they had grilled fish for dinner and Kurama let him eat one of his fireballs as dessert.

_(End song)_

* * *

Kakashi had been bored out of his mind for the last three days.

He really should have seen this coming, when he decided to 'Further strength the basics of tree climbing', as he told Tsunade, when she called for him after the third day of punishment, because of course that Naruto had already spilled the beans.

Right now he was practically crying of joy while waiting outside Tsunade's office, this would be his only chance to escape this hell.

He had been ordered to watch over Naruto during these days of isolation, specially his training sessions… without Icha-Icha!

He was not worried about his need to be alone, he himself had felt that same need before, so he could have just sent a Kage bunshin to look over him and ignore the order, but Tsunade had been smart enough to order an ANBU to watch over him and he couldn't shrug him off.

At least not until now when he left him alone, maybe escaping for his life, or maybe to inform Tsunade about Naruto's last display.

It was… impressive, to say the least, easily on the Rasenshuriken's level, but he had said it was incomplete? He indeed is the most unpredictable knuckleheaded nin- mage.

With a mental sigh he made a mental note about the need to get used to that, for now at least.

"Tsunade-sama will receive you now Kakashi-san" Shizune politely said, coming out of the Hokage's office.

He nodded and stepped inside cautiously, this could be his only chance to escape from his hellish punishment and he didn't wished to screw it.

"Report, Kakashi" She said not even lifting her head from the current paper in front of her.

"Well, I'm sure the ANBU tailing me has already debriefed you about today's… 'Training session' right?" Tsunade lifted her head enough to direct him a glare that clearly said 'I'm not in the mood'.

Kakashi gulped and immediately elaborated.

"But of course more details are always needed right?" he said with a nervous eye smile and both hands in front of him in a placating way.

Tsunade kept her glare some more seconds before sighing, rubbing her eyes with her hands and sitting straight on her seat, making him let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding.

"This is a dangerous situation Kakashi, the one we are playing with Naruto."

"I'm sorry, but I can't see why you say that Tsunade, I'm sure we can keep him safe from Akatsuki inside the village, and Danzo is no longer lurking here so that's also taken care of."

Every time they spoke about Naruto and their past/future, all titles and formalities were gone, and the 7 time-travelers treated each other as equals. It was a common agreement they had after all they went through as comrades during the war.

"That's not what I meant... look, we treat him just like we used to, and I don't mean in terms of interactions. What I mean is that even after the few displays of genius he has showed with many of the most basic jutsus we still treat him as if he only had Kage Bunshin and Rasengan, with all it's variants, on his Jutsu repertoire, but he has clearly far surpassed that, and we don't know the extent of said improvement."

She ran a hand through her hair while trying to put in words her thougts.

"That Dragon Slayer magic for example… that unique set of skills alone is clearly something powerful, even if we don't know much about it, and if what the ANBU reported is not an exaggeration, then the Rasengan…"

"It's not an exaggeration, whatever he reported, that I can assure… with what I saw it's nearly impossible to exaggerate, and he said it wasn't even complete!"

Tsunade paled hearing that.

"But I can't understand what is troubling you, we all know that he is a loyal Konoha shinobi, so he would never use _that _to harm us."

"That's what I'm talking about Kakashi, we are supposing he is still loyal to Konoha just because physically he _is_ Naruto Uzumaki, when far many times he has made clear that mentally he _is _Naruto Dragneel… all the proof I need of that is his first meeting with the other five."

At the blank look kakashi gave her, she resisted the urge of groaning in exasperation, and instead explained further.

"After Naruto's re-introduction to the others, Sakura aproached me once everyone left to report personally about Lee's injuries. She told me that Lee's sternum and ribs were dangerously cracked after that punch, and if not for his harsh training to increase his resilience to strong impacts and the increased bone density he developed with time, those could have been reduced to splinters _inside_ his chest."

Kakashi's eye widened after hearing that. If that happened to Lee then he didn't wished to think about what could have happened if one of those punches managed to land in Sasuke.

"B-but that's why we are trying to make him remember Tsunade, then we would not fear something like that happening, and we would also gain a really powerful asset against Madara, if Obito somehow manages to use Edo Tensei on him again."

"Once again you are supposing things Kakashi. We know how hard he was pushed to the edge those last weeks, he endured blow after blow to his heart until he snapped and abandoned us on a suicidal task… I still don't know how his remaining friends convinced him to stay, and only when we found that other use of the Hiraishin seal array he… somewhat returned to his normal self."

A soft sigh escaped her lips as her stern gaze softened a bit.

"Look, I know we all want to tell him how sorry we are, and how much we wish to make amends for what we did, but if _he_ snapped I'm afraid of what can happen if the wrong memories resurface first. We don't know how _this _Naruto would react, once again that first meeting is all the proof I need to prove my point."

Damn, she hated doing this, acting like Danzo would if he considered something to be a threat to the village, but the only way she found to help Naruto leave back to Earthland was making him look like a threat to the others.

It was hard to keep the serious façade while doing this to her little brother, but she had already made her mind up into doing all in her power to help Naruto return to his new home.

"Then what do you suggest?" Kakashi asked in a cold tone.

"That we put the plan we made to send him back to that other world in action as soon as possible, that way we could even ruin Obito's plan of gathering the nine Bijuus by neglecting him the Kyuubi's chakra."

"You know very well that there are many other ways he can find to get the Kyuubi's chakra, and that he doesn't need the whole Bijuu in order to resurrect the Juubi… what are you planning Tsunade?"

"Watch your tone Hatake" she growled on a commanding tone, shaking all confidence from Kakashi and making him lower his head in shame.

"Don't speak to me like I'm trying to betray you lot. You know very well I only wish the best for Konoha and Naruto, but after that last report I can't help but wonder… am I wrong Kakashi? You tell me, would Naruto forgive himself if once he recovers his memory finds that he injured or, kami forbid, killed one of his friends in a fit of rage?"

Thinking about it from that perspective, Kakashi couldn't help but reluctantly agree to Tsunade's reasoning.

In some aspects she was right, they were neglecting the mind aspect of Naruto just because his body was here. But there was also the issue that, if they agreed with this plan, they would surely never see him again…

He knew that in the end he would have to do what's best for the village, but… this four years he had blamed himself, as surely the other six had done to themselves, for Naruto's disappearance.

He felt that he had failed Minato-sensei, one more time… there HAD to be another option…

"I think I have an idea that could take care of the time bomb problem, and would also assure Naruto's loyalty to the village once more."

Tsunade had to suppress a sigh and the irritated tone from her voice.

Of course it would not be _that_ easy, and she still needed to have the others trust, otherwise she could no longer help Naruto from _inside._

"Speak, I'm all ears."

"We can order what memories resurface first in a way, if my theory is right, by replicating or revisiting the situations or places that generated them the first time, and I think I have the perfect situation to test that theory."

"Which is…?"

Kakashi reached his kunai pouch and took out two bells, making them sound while he answered, still eye smiling.

"What better memory than the one when he became a ninja?"

* * *

Naruto was trying on a nice nightcap he found while searching something to wear as nightclothes in Uzumaki's wardrobe, his clothes bieng dirty from training.

Even he knew that clothes needed to be washed… sometimes.

Like he had lost his backpack when he arrived to this world, he had to look for clothes to wear during the night.

Even if the nightcap was nice and all, he still needed something _else_ to wear while his clothes dried on the roof, he would NOT sleep only on his underwear.

And while searching on the drawers he found many sets of what he guessed was Uzumaki's everyday clothes: black short sleeved t-shirt, orange short pants and orange jacket with blue cloth on the shoulders and white high collar.

He took out one of the orange jackets, and a feeling of nostalgia invaded him, so he tried to put it on.

Sadly he was too big to fit on it, so no wishing to ruin it he reluctantly stored it again and decided to try on the pants, and thankfully those weren't too small for him, and fitted him like shorts… not what he expected, but still better than nothing.

Sometime later he entered the bed, well, more like just sprawled there wearing the hippo nightcap and the orange pants-shorts, nothing else fitted him, and he didn't wished to ruin the rest of Uzumaki's clothes forcing them to fit him.

Besides it would only be one night, then he would get some money from Baa-chan and go get more sets of his current outfit done, along with something to sleep with.

He was starting to drift into delightful sleep when his sharp ears caught the sound of soft knocks on his door.

Naruto groaned and rolled on his bed, covering his head with his pillow and trying to ignore it, but then that someone knocked again, harder this time, and he heard the voice of the Teme calling for him.

"Open the door dobe, we are here to deliver a message from Hokage-sama."

Of course they had to look for him when he was about to fell asleep.

Grudgingly he stood up and stumbled towards the door, mentally glaring at the still asleep Kurama and wondering why he had to have light dream, and once he opened the door he found Sakura, the Teme and the Scarecrow out there waiting for him.

Sakura got a blush, the Teme had an eyebrow risen and the Cyclops was eye smiling, surely enjoying the small revenge of waking him up for whatever punishment Baa-chan gave him.

"Dirty clothes. No extra sets. Clothes here too small. Only this fit. What. Do. You. Want."

"Tsunade-shishou said that you are ready to be put in active duty as a ninja, doing missions and earning money by yourself, so Kakashi-sensei is going to put us under a test as a group to see if you are worthy of having a Hitae-ate" Sakura said tapping her own Hitae-ate at the end.

"We'll be meeting on training ground 3 at 7 a.m. sharp, so don't be late dobe, and also bring whatever you think you can use in a fight, like kunai or shuriken" Sasuke drawled on his apathetic tone, clearly not affected by the glare Naruto was giving him.

Maybe because instead of a glare it looked more like he was about to pass out.

"Oh, also try to not eat breakfast because you'll probably throw it up" Kakashi added as an afterthought while still eye smiling before shunshining away leaving the other three there alone.

Sakura started to alternate between looking the floor and stealing glances to Naruto, who looked royally pissed off… and sleepy.

"Fine. Tomorrow test, 7a.m. Training ground 3. Arrive early. Don't eat breakfast. Bring tools. Please close the door" and then he just stood there in silence, but a couple of seconds later they could hear snores coming from inside the apartment and the Naruto in front of them started to vanish in the air.

Sasuke smirked and shook his head, and dragged the wide eyed Sakura after closing the dobe's apartment door.

"Let's go, we need the sleep, and I also have the feeling that tomorrow it's going to be an… interesting day, to say the least."

Oh, had he knew, interesting was a mayor understatement for what they would go through the next day hehehe… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA _(Keeps laughing maniacally until scene changes)_

* * *

Naruto was not happy today. His tummy grumbled demanding food, which he didn't had. His eyelids closed every now and then for lack of sleep, which he didn't got for waking up early. And finally, he was plotting ways in how getting back team 7 for being late, because he was totally bored out of his mind.

He had wrestled his way out of the bed, fighting against his sheets demanding him to stay more time, and took a fast cold shower to somewhat help himself wake up.

He even had to run to the training ground when he found out that he was going to be late.

That small chat he had with Kurama last night did wonders with his doubts, and now, despite his sleepiness, he was ready and eager to prove himself to Baa-chan and the other guys…

Sadly, that enthusiasm wore off around the first hour of waiting.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted as he usually did, eye smile included, appearing on the training ground in a poof of smoke along with Sasuke and Sakura... only to hastily scramble to avoid a flaming punch directed to the spot they were standing seconds ago.

Once the fist touched the ground, dust and debris flew everywhere, surprising Sakura with the similarities between this and her, or even Tsunade's, chakra enhanced punches.

When the dust finally settled down, Naruto was standing on the bottom of a medium sized crater on the ground, both hands turned into flaming fists, one behind him and other on his face's level, with a vein bulging on his forehead and an eye twitching uncontrollably.

Yup, he was pissed off.

Even his head became bigger once he started his rant.

"WHAT THE HELL CYCLOPS! YOU'RE LATE!"

And then he turned to the other two, pointing an accusing finger to both of their wide-eyed and gaping faces.

"YOU TOO! AND YOU WERE THE ONE TO TELL ME ABOUT BEING ON TIME!"

And while Sakura had to, for the first time on her life, be on the ending side of a lecture about being late, given by Naruto of all people (she guessed it would have been worse if, for example, it was Kakashi who did it) Sasuke spaced out and frowned when the memories of his blonde teammate.

The one that, somehow, after a practically life-long chase after him, made him realize the true reason and extent of Itachi's love and loyalty to Konoha and him, and how thanks to Obito and Madara he practically pissed over his ideals and wishes for his future, and how thanks to him, to that idiotic blonde teammate, he now had a chance to have his Aniki back with him.

"HEY TEME! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!"

Naruto's furious roar woke him from his memories, and made him shook his head in amusement at the familiar scene of the pissed off blonde, and an image of the blonde, orange loving genin Naruto overlapped the teenager ranting at the bottom of the crater, exactly with the same stance and the same funny and annoyed expression on his face he remembered.

That made his eyes sting uncomfortably, forcing him to rub off the annoying drops of fluid that threatened to come out of them, surely caused by something that was floating in the air and managed to enter inside his eyes.

He, crying for the dobe? Yeah, sure, next thing he would be running on his hands around the village while wearing a green spandex suit and screaming about the power of youth.

* * *

On a distant road, near the border with the land of wind, Maito Gai stopped dead on his tracks and frowned, forcing his squad to also halt on their advance and turn towards him.

Rock Lee neared his sensei and asked in a low voice.

"You also felt it?"

"Yes, there is a disturbance in the Youth… we must be alert."

And then he reverted on his 'Youthful' self and challenged his whole squad to a race towards Suna, and not waiting for them to even answer, he dashed ahead, with Lee behind hot on he heels.

Neji and Tenten only sighed and hoped that their sensei and teammate would wait for them on the land border.

* * *

"Welcome back to team 7, dobe" He said with a small smirk that lacked the usual arrogance of the Uchiha, and showed something that Kakashi could confuse with warmth had he not known Sasuke better.

That small sentence made Naruto stop his rant, cool down and stare Sasuke with wide and confused eyes.

Something deep inside his chest told him to run to Sasuke, hug the bastard squeezing the life outof him and then tease him about it, but he stomped the feeling the next second and opted for glaring him, pout childishly, cross his arms over his chest and say in an indignated tone.

"Shut up Teme, you still were late."

A soft chuckle escaped Sasuke's lips, but he said nothing else.

Kakashi rose an eyebrow at the interaction, but since it seemed they were finished ,and he apreciated what little sanity he had left too much to spend it trying to understand what just happened, he cleared his throat to get the attention of the skulking blonde, the amused Uchiha and the warmly smiling pink haired girl.

"Well, seeing that our new teammate… damaged, unconsciously I'm sure, this training ground, we'll have to move to a clearing said new teammate also, unconsciously I'm sure, gave us."

Naruto first looked sheepish, concious of the hole in the ground he had made, but the second part let him with a confused frown, making Sakura rolled her eyes.

"He means the place where we found you" still confusion.

Sakura groaned.

"The forest fire? Remember?"

Now recognition shone on his eyes while he made an 'Oh!' motion with his mouth, only to be replaced with an embarrassed expression the next moment.

Kakashi felt the need to ease him.

"Maa, don't worry about that, we can actually made good use of that spot as training ground for dangerous jutsus out of the village. It's big and far enough to avoid any internal damage."

Naruto let out a relieved breath.

"We'll use it because every other training ground is occupied right now and this one… well…"

Naruto looked to a side and mumbled an apology.

"Can we leave now? We are loosing time and I could be training right now"Sasuke said, back in his arrogant self, making Sakura giggle and Naruto huff in annoyance looking ready to jump over Sasuke and punch him straight to Iwa.

He was still as hotheaded as always, but now clearly more dangerous, easily on Sakura's, if not in Tsunade's level.

"Well, we better hurry up then" He said on his usual lazy tone cutting Naruto in whatever he was about to yell at Sasuke and vanishing in a small swirl of leaves.

Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes and muttered at the same time "Show-off" and started to run towards the village walls to get to that clearing, not noticing Naruto's wide grin before he vanished with a small sparkle of light.

* * *

Kakashi took out his favorite book while waiting for his team to arrive, but before he opened it a shiny spot on the ground caught his eye, and before he could take even a step towards it Naruto appeared there grinning.

"Yo, scarecrow!"

Kakashi took a deep breath attempting to bring his heart rate back to normal levels and make his widened eye return to its usual bored look.

It didn't lasted much, but that small moment of surprise was enough to make Naruto's day.

Mentally he thanked his reflexes for hiding his small orange book from the blonde's sight.

"So, that's the famed Shunshin variant Tsunade-sama spoke about so much?"

Naruto's grin widened and his chest puffed with pride at the praise.

"But I'm curious as to why you didn't kept training with her, or Jiraya-sama, or anyone else by the way. You just suddenly disappeared these last three days and nobody would see you the whole day, the only ones who rarely saw you were Teuchi-san or Ayame, and even them only caught glances of you by the door when they delivered your ramen, just enough for you to pay them and pick the package, not a single word… why Naruto?"

The blonde's eyes lost their spark and his face took a sad appearance, but a small smile came to his mouth.

"I had to clear my head, and think about… things…"

Kakashi had an idea of what was troubling him, he was afraid of forgetting about that place he said he belonged now, and so he distanced himself in an attempt to regain focus on his goal to return to that other world.

He would have used that chance to plant an illusion on Naruto to make him stay, but Tsunade ordered him just to watch him, and there was also the matter of the fox and his previous warning.

It was better to have a slightly confused Naruto than no Naruto at all.

Before he could ask something else, he sensed Sakura's and Sasuke's chakra signatures coming closer to their location, so he decided to save his questions for later and go on with the test.

"Well, it seems that my other two cute little students will arrive soon."

"Huh? How do you know that?"

Kakashi just eye smiled a pointed behind Naruto, said blonde turned his head in that direction and saw that from that spot Sakura and Sasuke jumped out.

Naruto turned again towards the cyclops and narrowed his eyes, like trying to find something there he could use to cheat, but not seeing anything he just shrugged it as some other ninja trick he could learn later.

"Then what's this test about? A race? Fights? Please tell me it's not a written test… I suck at those."

Sasuke snorted behind him and Naruto turned to glare him, opening his mouth to say surely shout something at him, but Kakashi stopped him bay making two bells sound on his hand.

"This is a simple test, all you have to do is take one of this bells from me."

And so he explained the mechanics of the bell test, Naruto listening intently the instructions, while Sakura and Sasuke had smirks on their faces.

The scene was so familiar, but somehow so alien at the same time that they couldn't hide their amusement at the situation.

"And remember, if you pretend to have even a chance at taking a bell from me, better come with the intent to kill."

That got an unexpected reaction from Naruto.

"W-what!? Kill?"

He stepped backwards scared at the idea,_ kill? Was the scarecrow being serious?_

True, he had stated before that he would kill whoever threatened his friends, but those were empty words, he knew he would never bring himself to do such thing, the guild's law prohibited such thing, and also there was the magic council's decreed that anyone who used magic to kill another person would we labeled as a dark mage and would be chased down by the rune knights and any legal guild.

Killing was on top of Naruto's never-to-do list.

Kakashi frowned at Naruto's reaction, he expected an exited and eager to fight blonde, not a confused and scared one, but then Kyuubi's words flashed inside his head

_'… no need to kill nor fear for your life…'_

He mentally slapped himself and hurriedly corrected his mistake.

"Now, don't get me wrong Naruto, I don't really meant to actually try to kill each other, that's just a way to say that I expect you to don't hold up against me, because I won't do so."

Sakura and Sasuke, being behind the blonde, didn't saw his face expression so they didn't understood why Kakashi elaborated on that, and sending him a questioning look they got a 'Don't say a thing' one as answer.

Naruto let out a relieved breath and gave Kakashi an annoyed look.

"Don't say crap like that again, ever, even if it's just a joke… it's not funny" He then crossed his arms and Kakashi could say he heard 'stupid Kakashi-sensei' between mumbles, but not being sure about it dismissed it and gave the group the last instruction.

"You have until the clock's alarm to get the bells" he said taking a clock out of nowhere and placing it on the ground "and the test starts on my mark, so… ready? Go!"

Sasuke and Sakura jumped to nearby trees to hide as Kakashi instructed them early that morning, so he could face Naruto one on one and measure his new strength because, even if they truly preferred to deny it, they had to admit that Tsunade's worries were not hard to believe, especially since Sasuke and Lee experienced how dangerously Naruto could act if pressed.

Better be safe than sorry after all, so they silently watched, eager to see how this would develop.

Naruto stood in front of Kakashi, arms still crossed over his chest and a confused frown on his face for about a minute after Kakashi gave the order to begin.

Said Jounin stared him back, hand itching to take out his small orange book, until the blonde finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Sooo, I have to fight against you to get one of those belts, along with Sakura and the Teme, right?"

"Yup"

"And I'm allowed to harm you always it's nothing serious… right?" a strange glint on his azure eyes made Kakashi gulp unconsciously.

"Ehhh… yeah?"

Now Kakashi questioned his rational thinking, because right now measuring Naruto's strength by a one on one fight seemed like a really baaaaad idea, if Naruto's shit-eating grin was any indicator, and even more after he rose a fist and it instantly lit up on fire.

"Then fight me!" he fiercely demanded.

It would have looked really cool, with his scarf waving with a breeze that passed through the clearing at that moment, but his stomach decided to remember him he didn't had breakfast that morning, grumbling loudly, much to the blonde's embarrassment.

Naruto held his posture for some more seconds, clearly forcing his confident grin now, but his stomach growled again, and with it he let his head, shoulders and arms slump in defeat while whining.

"Man, I'm hungry…"

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head amusedly, only to immediately straight his relaxed posture and put a hand over the Hitae-ate covering his other eye, ready to lift it.

"I'm going to fight against you Naruto, and I expect that something as simple as hunger won't stop you."

Naruto perked up at this, and his confident smirk returned full force, so punching one fist onto his other's hand open palm he ignited both,

"You can bet on that Cyclops, now I'm all fired up dattebayo!"

Kakashi's eye widened a bit at the appearance of that old verbal tick, but Naruto seemend to don't pay attention to it, so he supposed that it was his subconscious reacting at the situation, and directed him a last nod and eye smile before lifting his hitae-ate and opening his Sharingan eye.

The moment Naruto saw Kakashi's sharingan, with the intimidating sight of the slowly swirling tomoes, his confidence faltered for a second, something about that eye making him feel uneasy, but he immediately shook off that feeling and grinned even wider.

At an unheard signal Naruto jumped towards the Jounin, who took a defensive stance and steeled himself for the clash.

The first exchange of hits and kicks was a whole new experience for Kakashi.

If Naruto's fighting style before was unpredictable enough to even fool his Sharingan eye sometimes, now it rendered said eye useless.

His hits and kicks were firm and strong, specially with those flames he could turn on and off at will even on his feet, but it was at the same time like he would just let his body move by itself, no clear pattern discernible… heck no pattern at all!

It was like fighting against a sober version of Lee's drunken fist.

He evaded another punch just in nick of time to make him loose his balance, and so he did, but instead of fighting against the fall, Naruto let his body move forwards to the ground, and placing the hand which he was going to use in the punch on the ground he held his body upside down with it, opening his legs to the sides and igniting both feet, whirling on the spot emulating a windmill, and then he impulsed himself forwards with the same hand, feet now posed as a double kick towards Kakashi forcing him to block with both arms crossed, enhanced with chakra to avoid any heavy damage.

His respect for Lee greatly increased during the spar, he had a hard time blocking those punches, so him enduring one of those really aimed to harm…

After that Kakashi had to jump backwards to avoid another punch, but this time Naruto didn't continued the attack, so Kakashi used the chance to catch his breath.

That last exchange didn't lasted more than a couple of seconds, and Naruto executed it all in one swift motion, not ever stopping for a moment to consider his next movement.

Naruto stood from his semi-crouched stance and smirked, placing both hands behind his head.

"You're not that bad Cyclops, not many can keep up with me and Natsu-nii on a fist-only fight, even Erza has some trouble with it."

Kakashi also stood straight, slightly panting, and gave him an eye smile.

"Ninja arts lesson number one: Taijutsu. I must say that you have quite an interesting fighting style there Naruto, and even if I don't know who this Erza you are talking about is, I can understand what you mean… your movements are really unpredictable, it's like if you don't even think to fight."

"I don't" he happily chirped, making the other three there sweatdrop, he even heard someone mutter 'baka' somewhere behind him, but he didn't minded it, he was happy someone acknowledged his (and his brother's) fighting style, so he explained further.

"Once we fought against another Dragon Slayer that had a nasty skill that allowed him to hear even our thoughts during the fight, and even if at that time I managed to defeat him with a lot of noise, Natsu-nii and I decided to train in a style to counter that, and any similar kind of ability. It was really a pain to even _think_ in something to defeat him, so we learned to fight entirely on reflex, not really thinking on what to do next."

Kakashi rose an eyebrow at that, even if the notion of 'fighting without thinking' sounded like a stupid idea, what Naruto really meant with that, even if he didn't knew it, was that him and 'Natsu' took the concept of 'thinking on your feet' to an entirely new level.

Indeed, he basically fought on reflex, but in what he could see during their previous fight was that, unlike with simple reflexes, his body _shifted_ his style according to every hit, block and dodge it did, surely thanks to continuous spars against different fighting styles and an insane amount of time spent training.

It was as if his body had a mind of its own, capable of sorting through integrated memories on an instant and come with satisfactory outcomes for many situations, a really impressive feat.

Sadly it's downside, or at least he thought so, was that it could be easily overwhelmed by greater speed or a large number of opponents, but still, he would dare to say he would give even Gai a bit of trouble, at least for some time.

"I wished to test you on genjutsu, but after our previous warm-up" Naruto snorted at that "I'm really curious as to how that unique style matches with your… unique set of skills" and getting on a ready stance he prepared for what could be a really… interesting fight.

Naruto unfolded his arms and asked tentatively, practically giddy at the idea of finally letting go in a fight.

"You want me to use magic? Nobody has asked for that so far, and when I mention it they get a bit… nervous, dunno why, but… are you sure?"

Kakashi gave him an eye smile and nodded, Naruto got positively exited and beamed before closing his eyes in concentration.

When he opened them again they were slitted, signaling that his Dragon Slayer magic was now active, and set his fists on fire.

This time the flames burned even stronger.

"Ohhh, now it's on!"

Kakashi somersaulted over him just as he heard him call "_Karyuu no Kazigume!"_ and fire exploded from under his feet, propelling the blonde towards him at breakneck speed, ready to punch.

Kakashi thanked the small warning he received from his Sharingan, even if he almost missed it.

Noticing the scarecrow had avoided his attack, Naruto front flipped and landed in a crouch, and not wasting time he used the generated momentum to do a high jump.

Spotting Kakashi on the ground he smirked and opened his arms in a wing-like motion.

Tendrils of fire appeared under them when he called _"Karyuu no Yokugeki!"_ and rolled on the air, using the momentum generated to throw his arms forward.

The wing-like fire extensions followed the motion, directing towards Kakashi.

Even with his back turned to Naruto he felt the attack directed to him, so he flashed through handseals as he turned, and not sparing a glance to the nearing attack he slammed his palm on the ground.

"_Doton: Doryuheki!"_

Rocks shot up from the ground and formed a thick wall in front of him, just in time to intercept the fire tendrils aimed to hit him, but causing an explosion on impact that forced Kakashi to abandon the protection of the wall and jump backwards.

As the dust from the explosion cleared, and now panting a bit more heavily, he finally saw the power that was put on that last attack.

The rock wall that could hold back some of the strongest jutsus during the war, and still stand proud, was now reduced to rubble, and the heat was so strong that some rocks were even halfway melted… and Naruto stood on the other side grinning and not even winded.

This made him see why Tsunade was so worried, and also mentally thank that he was on their side.

"What's wrong scarecrow? Too old to keep up?" Naruto taunted with a cocky grin while Kakashi stood from his crouched position and closed his Sharingan eye, his normal one regaining its bored look.

"Maa, don't let it get over your head, you just had the surprise factor on your side, that's all" and then he flashed through handseals again.

_"Suiton: Teppodama!" _and a water bullet was shot from his mouth at high speed.

Naruto saw the handseals, but he was too far to reach him before he finished, so instead he inhaled deeply, and puffing his cheeks he breathed out.

_"Karyuu no Hooko"_

A twister of flames came out, impacting with the water bullet, and both attacks canceled each other, mainly because the dragon's breath was not at full strength thanks to that fast casting, but Kakashi didn't knew that, so noticing that he could no longer keep up the defense since Naruto would eventually overwhelm him, and also knowing that he wouldn't bring himself to go full against his sensei's son, even if he wished to, so he decided he had enough information about him.

Simply overpowered.

Opting for going on with the test, there was just an hour and a half left after all, and since he still wished to see their teamwork, he held a single handseal and used the moisture in the air generated by the last technique clash.

_"Suiton: Kirigakure no jutsu!"_ and thick fog engulfed the area, hiding him from Naruto.

"Interesting set of skills" the disembodied voice of Kakashi came from everywhere, and even with his even more enhanced senses thanks to his active magic he couldn't pinpoint the origin of the voice, or see more than one or two feet ahead of him, and the faint trail of the Cyclops' essence was even more hidden by something infused in the fog, surely his catra.

"But you haven't got any bell yet, and I'm sure your teammates also want a chance in trying to get one, so I'll let you regroup with them, but I suggest you hurry up, time's not on your side this time" and the fog started to dissipate, along with any trace of where Kakashi could be, and not much later Sakura and Sasuke landed close to Naruto.

Said blonde only sighed and deactivated his magic, his slitted pupils returned to normal orbs.

"Hn, not bad dobe" Sasuke said, looking as disinterested as always, but inside his head a chibi version of him was punching a punching bag with a picture of a chibi Naruto, smiling and giving him the peace sign with two fingers glued on it, while fuming and repeating like a mantra "Stupid-over-powered-dobe!"

"Shut up Teme, I didn't saw you helping here"

"Were you waiting for help?" he asked with a raisen eyebrow.

"N-no! Of course not!"

He saw Sakura sigh and step closer to them, surely to try and make them work in a plan to get the bells, but then he felt something moving underground towards Sasuke, and acting on pure instinct he pushed him to a side, just in time for two hands to appear and grab _his_ feet instead of Sasuke's and bury him up to his neck.

Then the scarecrow jumped out of the ground next to him and crouched while giving him another of those annoying eye smiles… was that the only thing he knew to do with that eye?

_"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no jutsu"_

"Your time to plan is up, so I hope you are ready already, Ja ne" and then he shunshined away.

Naruto groaned and shot glares to his teammates, at Sasuke for the snort and smirk, and Sakura for the giggles.

"Go and search for the scarecrow, I'll catch up with you later."

"Don't you want help getting out of there?" Sasuke asked/mocked still smirking, and Naruto shot him another annoyed glare.

"I can get myself out of here, you go before we loose even more time"

Sasuke just shrugged, smirk never leaving his face, and shunshined away.

Sakura spared him one last glance before sighing and going after Sasuke.

Only once he was alone, Naruto shunshined out of the hole and scowled at the afterimage there… Why had he jumped to protect the Teme?

It was an instinct what forced him to do so, but why? He hadn't interacted that much with him, or anyone else from the village for that matter, to react that way, but… he had been having this weird… _feelings_ ever since he arrived here, and even if that small talk with Kurama last night eased some of his insecurities, he still found unnerving how natural it felt being arround the people from the village.

Even once he questioning himself, just this one time he was really… REALLY tired, if he was already home.

Of course he noticed that right away and immediately stomped that minuscule doubt, but still… was this product of those illusions Kurama spoke about?

True, he promised he would not get mad at the people here, but playing with his head was something he would not let pass… but first he would talk with Kurama, just to be on the safe side.

Maybe it was a work of only one, and it would not be fair if he blamed everyone else for that.

Pleased with his reasoning and possible discovering, and filled with determination of being more aware to find who was playing with his mind, he stretched and strolled to where he sensed the other two essences, both hands behind his head and looking to the sky, letting his nose lead the way.

* * *

"Different worlds under the same sky…" he repeated Kurama's words from yesterday, still looking at the sky… something about that was nagging the back of his mind, but he couldn't place his finger over it.

"Sky… same sky… stars… STARS!"

Realization hit him like a thousand bricks, and he was immediately summoning as many clones as he could, scolding himself for nor remembering something of THAT importance before.

"_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"_

Nearly 800 clones filled that part of the clearing, and some of the forest, instantly searching something on the trees along with the original.

He really thanked they were close to where he first appeared in this world.

Some time later Naruto had to stop his search (of course his clones not) when one of the clones spared a glance to the clearing and found Kakashi fighting against Sakura and Sasuke, so he guessed they would need some help.

Ordering his clones to keep searching and only dispell once they found _it_, he headed towards the fighting trio, and arrived just in time to see the Teme finishing a small chain of handseals and cast his jutsu.

_"Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!"_

A fairly big ball of fire (he had seen and eaten bigger of course) flew towards the scarecrow, and didn't thought twice to jump right in front of it once his stomach grumbled… again.

Blood was drained from everyone's face at that moment, when they saw, in their perspective, Naruto jump in front of the jutsu to shield Kakashi from it.

Sakura even screamed his name in despair.

But even greater was their surprise when, after hearing a slurping noise, they saw Naruto _eating_ the fire, and even burping once he finished, sporting a wide (and satisfied) smile while patting his belly.

"Man, I was really hungry, that totally hit the spot… good fire Teme, you have to let me eat one of those some other day."

Sasuke, Kakashi and Sakura stared wide eyed and gaping at the scene before them.

Sasuke's mind went totally blank after Naruto's last statement… let him eat _another_ of his jutsus?

It was Sakura who finally got over the shock enough to make a question.

"Y-you can _eat_ fire?"

Naruto gave her a deadpan look.

"Well _duh_! I'm a _fire_ Dragon Slayer, of course I can eat fire."

Sasuke was about to ask something else, but one of Naruto's clones jumped out of a nearby tree carrying a backpack in one hand.

"Found it boss!"

That woke Kakashi from his shock, and not wasting time he threw the kunai he had on one hand to the clone, not wishing to risk anything against Naruto, but the clone had already threw a small golden _something_ to Naruto, and he caught it with one hand even before the backpack landed in the ground after the kunai dispelled the clone.

Sighing in relief he carefully looked at it, as if searching for some damage done to it.

"Phew, If I lost this Lucy would have been really mad at me…" he unconsciously shuddered after remembering something, but shrugged it and extended his arm to reveal a small golden key on his hand, a weird symbol in white lines over a blue background on the head of it.

"Hope this works… now how did Lucy used this things?" and in a slashing motion he swung the key while saying "I open thee, door of the-"

"What the hell are you doing dobe?" Sasuke asked a bit winded, jumping back from surely engaging the cyclops while he was checking the key.

"Summoning a friend, what else Teme?" Naruto answered quite irritated at the obvious question, and for being interrupted on his experiment.

"Guys, whatever you're doing hurry up, I need a hand here!" Sakura called after avoiding another strike from Kakashi and retaliating with a punch of her own.

"Do the handseals dobe, you can't summon anything without the summoning seal" Sasuke said before jumping to join Sakura on the fight.

"I know, I was about to do that" Naruto grumbled under his breath before biting his thumb and letting some blood pour so he could do the handseals properly, and after doing so, still holding the key between his hands, he slammed a hand on the ground and called.

"_Kuchiyoose!"_

The bright seal from the last time appeared under him, slowly rotating, and this time the key also shone brightly.

Naruto grinned seeing this and held the key in front of him.

Kakashi clearly noticed this and made a quick substitution to free himself from the other two, and dashed towards Naruto to stop him before he summoned _whatever_ he was going to summon.

"I open thee door of the Lion, Leo!" he called doing again the slash motion with the key, and just when Kakashi was about to attack, the seal stopped it's slow rotation, reacting to the command, and a bright light blinded him for a moment, forcing him to cover his eyes with his arms, not letting him see the punch that was coming towards him

"I'm glad you're fine Lucy, sorry for not returning by myself before but now I'm recovered enough to help you in the fight" a soft male voice said with clear concern on it's tone.

"Loke? Yeah, it worked!" Naruto cheered at first, but once his words finally reached him his face turned to one of concern "Wait, Lucy is in danger!?"

A young man dressed on a black suit with a white shirt, a red tie and black shoes stood there facing them.

The most noticeable traits were on his head, where clear sunglasses covered dark eyes, and his unruly and spiky orange hair, even more than Naruto's, emulated the appearance of a lion's mane, with two pointy strands of hair that looked like cat ears poking over it.

He turned to see the one behind him and his eyebrows frowned in confusion "Naruto?"

In the distance a clock alarm rang, the bell test had finished, and a pair of yellow eyes retracted in the shadows of the nearby forest, a malicious glint on them, before they disappeared in the darkness.

* * *

**(A/N): BAM! bet you didn't expected that! see ya' next week (hopefully... HAHAHAHAHA) ;D**


	7. Foreign allies

**(A/N): Aaaannnnd finally I'm back... really, don't hate me for the delay, I swear it was not intencionally, I kindda forgot to pay the phone and internet bill so I got the service cut down... yeah, yeah, I know what you are thinking 'So foolish to forget about such thing, shame on you Segaku' yeah, maybe, but this has been a couple of hectic weeks for me so don't really blame me for that, blame the troublesome real life... anyway, enough about my problems, here it is, a new chapter up :D I really suffered to bring this up so I hope you enjoy it , it may look like some kind of filler, but I needed this one to settle some things before bringing the final member from Fairy tail for this first arc to move to the Suna mission, yeah, I have some interesting things in mind for that with this Naruto on the rescue mission, but back to this chapter, here I bring you some NaruLu :3 nothing too romantic, but a cute interaction as a flashback anyways, I'm not _that_ used to such scenes but I try my best at what I do... now moving into REVIEWS!**

**Wow, 20 reviews, even if it's not as much as many other fics get I'm proud of myself for reaching that number, I did this as an experiment and for the heck of it, and now it brings some pleasant results, I feel somewhat acomplished... special hi to buterflypuss, you are now a usual reader and I thank you for that, also you Sjamie1398, thanks for the support, and a really huge cookie for loganhunter2 who bothered to leave a review for each chapter I've uploaded so far, and I'm happy you loved the story so far, makes me want to keep working on this despite whatever real life throws at me**

**Now this part is special for me, like I said this two last weeks have been preety hectic for me outside the shiny and happy world of fanfictions, and I almost threw the towel with this since ideas for this chapter and the next seemed to escape from me, but, even if you were a guest reviewer and I couldn't thank you personally (at least as personally as internet allows) if you are reading this Yuuki, thank you, really really thank you, that small review you left here telling me that even among the few good Naruto-Fairy Tail you've read (That you consider mine a good one already means a lot for me) nobody has even touches this kind of idea gave me the necesary confidence and determination boost I needed to fight against the increasing urge to just abandon this, if before I was determined to keep this going, now even if I have to be hospitalized I will do whatever I can to upload a chapter as soon as I'm able to, for everyone there reading this I will NOT leave this fic unfinished, if this is really something that unique I'm no one to take it away from you (Yeah, I know it sounds a little too pridefull, but that's how I feel right now) again, thank you a lot Yukki... and sadly no, the yellow eyes are not from Orochimaru, you'll find out in this chapter, now Jarvis with some anouncement**

**"Wow, really touchy moment there Segaku"**

**Shut up, tell what you have to say and don't let the people keep waiting for the chapter**

**"Okay, okay... geez, well, just to make it clear from now on every flashback scene in the fic will not be on the character remembering it point of view, it will be on an outsider third person point of view (cough, me, cough) and will relate what everyone in the memory says and thinks, of course it will still be the character's memory, but... well, you got the idea, back to you Segaku"**

**Fine, if that's all then here we go, play the songs I suffer to fit on the chapters, favorite, follow if you like the fic and review, those little messages you leave there are my fuel to keep writing despite everything, so REVIEW!, that being cleared... ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**Disclaimer? really? you need one of this every time? why? I mean, it's clear I own nothig already created from Naruto or Fairy Tail, I onle own my own plot, nothing else, so whay keep telling this every chapter? Troublesome...**

* * *

_"Ha ha ha... the memory's wiles are cruel. In its silence, we forget. And in its perversion, it binds our heart firmly"_

_Vexen, Kingdom hearts Chain of Memories_

* * *

Chapter 6: Foreign allies

This was a gamble, he was being guided by some random words Kurama told him the previous night after all, but he couldn't shake this feeling that this could work… it was thanks to those words he remembered Lucy had entrusted him with the care of Loke's key just before the group headed to the Tenriou Island left Magnolia towards the port; he snickered remembering that Natsu could barely contain his excitement and flew with Happy towards the port after waving goodbye to him, clearly not remembering what 'departure by port' meant, oh poor, poor Natsu.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_(Play song: Kairi – Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Original Soundtrack)_

Naruto sat on the stairs in front of the guild building, he had already said goodbye to everyone and was about to leave for his next job when Lucy approached him shyly and asked if he could stay a bit longer and wait for her because there was something important she needed to ask him before both left, Naruto didn't thought twice before accepting.

Currently he was fighting with all his will against the urge to run inside the guild hall and shook Lucy until she told him what she wanted, the waiting was killing him and he noticed whatever she wished to tell him she wished to say in private, or at least far enough of the others to not hear… whatever that _something important_ she needed to tell him was it was driving him insane, but also made him feel like butterflies on his stomach at the idea that she wished to tell _him_ something important… sadly that only added more to his impatience instead of lessening it.

"Naruto!" she finally came out of the guild building along with the others and ran to where he was waiting on a side, and he only let out a shaky and nervous sigh before smiling

"Hey Lucy! What do you need?" once she stopped before him he noticed that shy smile she always had before asking something to others, and that sight made him feel warmth reach his cheeks and smile brightly "Don't worry Lucy, whatever you need I'm here to help you" that helped a lot because then she let out a small sigh of relief making him feel some of his anxiety also leave.

"Well, it's more like a favor that would mean a lot for me, and I could only think of you for it…" she said with a small blush and again looking shyly to a side after admitting that last part, Naruto's blush deepened a bit at that and his heart did a flip-flop in happiness while his chest puffed a bit in pride, Lucy noticed it and giggled.

"O-of course Lucy, just ask and I'll do whatever you need, we are friends after all and friends are there to help each other right?"

"Yeah, friends…" she sighed and shook her head before her hand reached for her key ring and took out Loke's key "Loke will be teaming with Grey for the S-rank trial and asked me not to use his key during it, and even if I trust myself in helping Kana reach the S-rank I would prefer to avoid temptations of calling him if we are on a tight spot, so… I'm trusting you in taking care of it"

Naruto just stood there looking dumbstruck and wide-eyed at Lucy, did she really trusted him _that_ much? Even to take care of one of her precious, if not her most important key? But it seemed that Lucy took his silence as a negative answer, not one she expected from Naruto, because then her face turned into a sad one before she turned around "S-sorry for that, I should have imagined you wouldn't be able to do that during your job… good luck" and then she started to leave

Only when he saw Lucy's back his brain managed to work again, and even if no words came out that moment he still reached for her wrist to stop her, he would never forgive himself if he made Lucy sad, and struggling for a second against his still not-worn-off shock finally words came out "N-no! It's not that I don't want to, but… those keys, especially Loke's, are really important for you, and I'm not exactly a careful guy so… I would gladly do it, specially if it's for you, but I don't trust myself to keep something _that_ important for you safe" he finished looking shamefully to the ground, expecting a really mad Lucy to say something if not leaving at that moment… he was such an idiot.

"Don't be a fool Naruto" her soft and kind voice chided him, making him lift his head to see that she was now facing him with a warm smile, and at the moment their eyes connected with each other both blushed again and looked to a side sheepishly "I wouldn't ask something like this to you if I didn't thought you were capable of doing so…" hearing this Naruto's head snapped to see her again, but she was still looking to a side with that cute blush on her face "O-of all the people in the guild, even if there are others more… cautious than you, besides Natsu I only trusted you enough to let you take care of the key, and even then I would prefer you a thousand times over him…" then she turned to see him again and extended to him the hand that still held Loke's key on it "So… will you take care of it for me?"

Naruto slowly let go Lucy's wrist and doubtfully reached for the key "Y-you, trust me?"

Her right eyebrow twitched, but she still answered with the soft, even if a bit strained, tone she used before "Yeah Naruto, I really, really, REALLY trust you" she guessed she exaggerated a bit there but with people like Naruto or Natsu it was better to be safe than sorry, and it seemed her assumption was right because then he smiled brightly to her (she emulated that smile, it was really contagious) and more confidently but still carefully he took the key from her hand and stored it on a pocket inside his backpack

Naruto felt happier than ever after that, Lucy TRULLY trusted him, enough to give him one of her keys confident that he would do a great job taking care of it, and he knew how much she cared for them so it spoke volumes on how much she valued their friendship; he was totally NOT going to screw this, so he stored the key on one of the safest pockets inside his backpack promising that he would really care for it, and he would clean it, and polish it, and- "Oh, and Naruto?" he gulped at the sudden _too sweet_ tone of her voice, and when he turned to see her she was with her hands on her hips and giving him one of those really scary faces (Erza approved) "Lose that key and I'll skin you alive before sending you to search for it"

"O-okay…"

"No, really, lose it and I'll summon Cancer and order him to skin you with his scissors, you understand?"

Naruto stood straight and saluted "Yes ma'am!"

Lucy giggled at the reaction and leaned closer to him landing a kiss on his cheek, leaving Naruto frozen on his spot while she run to where the others were waiting for her, with sly grins on their faces, smiling and waving goodbye; only once she was gone with the group Kurama floated out of the guildhall towards him, and seeing his current posture he rose an eyebrow "Did I missed something?" Naruto didn't answered, too shocked to speak, and slowly lifted a hand to where she kissed him, and then the brightest smile he could muster slowly appeared on his face: then he turned and grabbed one of Kurama's paws while practically shouting "Let's go Kurama! I want to finish this job as fast as possible to be here to greet them once they return!" and not waiting even for an answer he dragged him at full speed towards the entrance to the city, he only sighed and waited until he noticed he had left his backpack at the guild entrance.

_(End song)_

_(End flashback)_

* * *

The moment his clone returned with the key, and when he finally had it on his hands he felt like his soul finally returned to his body… if what Kurama said was true about the same sky in all worlds, then he should be able to summon Loke here and ask him for help, first with this test, and then in finding out how he got in this world and how to return back home… at least in theory, so when the key reacted to his magic he grinned and did the summoning chant just like Lucy did, and became ecstatic when the familiar silhouette of Loke appeared before him and when he heard his familiar voice "I'm glad you're fine Lucy, sorry for not returning by myself before but now I'm recovered enough to help you in the fight"

"Loke? Yes, it worked!" Naruto cheered once he heard the familiar voice, but his happiness was short lived once his words reached him and his satisfied grin transformed into a worried frown "Wait! Lucy is in danger?" he didn't paid attention to the clock's alarm, or the defensive posture of the other guys there; not even to Loke's confused face when he turned and saw him there holding the key instead of Lucy, all that mattered to him at that moment was that Lucy was _there_ in danger while he was _here_ taking his sweet time to return home to help her because he was too busy here playing to be a ninja, so in his despair for being helpless at the moment he jumped to Loke and grabbed him by his shoulders, shaking him while demanding answers

"Where is Lucy! Is she really in danger? Why weren't you with her!? You… You said you would protect her with your life!"

Loke, who was confused enough as to why was Naruto holding the key that opened the door that summoned him, got even more confused by the frantic blonde that now was in front of him demanding answers about Lucy… what was he doing in the island? And how he managed to open his door? "Naruto, I need you to calm down and explain me-"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? YOU JUST TOLD ME THAT LUCY IS IN DANGER AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!"

"CALM DOWN NARUTO! LUCY IS FINE DAMN IT!" Naruto was about to scream to him again but thankfully those words reached him on time and his despair was washed away in one relieving wave, Lucy was fine and he could trust Loke on that, he had proved his care for her before.

He slowly removed his hands from Loke's shoulders and a relieved smile, bordering on hysterics, came to his face "Lucy is fine?" he asked to himself and then he looked at Loke who slowly nodded, a confused frown on his face, and that made him sigh in relief and start to laugh, not being able to control himself after those tense moments "Lucy is fine!" he said and slumped to the ground, not really understanding why he was so worked up by the news some moments ago, but not really caring at the moment because all that mattered was that Lucy was fine, and by extent everyone else with her

Annoyance was replaced by concern when Loke saw Naruto's reaction, he had never saw the Dragon Slayer react like that, not even on dangerous situations, and even if the Grimiore Heart invasion to the island was something seriously dangerous, when he had to return to the Celestial world along with Caprico because of their injuries he sensed Laxus getting closer, so he guessed that with his help Fairy Tail would get the upper hand over the dark guild, and even if he was too weak to open his own door (being hit by his own Regulus after being possessed was something that would put a great strain on everyone, he guessed) he supposed everything was fine, his contract with Lucy was still active after all, she didn't even called for the other spirits after that.

He kneeled next to the still chuckling Naruto and shook him gently to take him out of his daze back to the real world, not minding the other tense three people there ready to jump at the slightest sign of danger "Naruto?" he asked softly "Naruto, are you ok?" he only nodded, no longer giggling but with a bright smile, that instantly turned into a confused frown.

"If you say that Lucy is fine, then why you spoke like she needed help the moment you appeared?" Now it was Loke's turn to be confused, weren't they on the Tenriou island? And wasn't the one he repelled before a member of Grimiore heart? Confused enough that he was bordering anger he forced his voice to come out calm and soothing, he needed Naruto calmed to get coherent answers, or at least one plausible explanation

"Naruto, what are you doing in the Tenriou Island?"

"Tenriou Island? We are not in the island Loke, I summoned you here because I needed some help" Now he confirmed he was the one who summoned him, and that they were outside of the island… now he needed to know where was _here_, how did Naruto managed to summon him and who were those other three standing on a side ready to attack but not taking the initiative, not that he was complaining about that, and was about to voice his first question when another familiar voice came from the nearby forest, making him turn and sigh in relief, if anyone (besides Natsu, Lucy and Erza) could make Naruto stop being senseless it was him.

"Oi kit! First you leave early and don't even prepare breakfast! If you were in a hurry you know Shadow clones can do that stuff for you; and then when I'm pestering the old hag for some food I feel you channel enough magic to take down a caste… again, what's the big dea-" he stopped when he noticed the other familiar face kneeled next to a goofy smiling Naruto, and a booming laugh (as booming as Kurama could manage on his current size) filled the clearing

"Well, if it's not the overgrown kitten" he said floating to Loke and greeted him with a fist bump that was gleefully answered in the same manner by the Celestial Spirit "It's good to see another familiar face after all this time… How you managed to find us? Did Lucy sent you to get us back home?" Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura focused their gazes on Loke, expecting that was not the case

"Well, I have not the slightest idea… Well, I know now that it was Naruto who summoned me, but still… and no, I thought you were already back at the guild, or at least heading back, I didn't knew you were lost" The three ninjas let out a relieved breath

"Well, you could say that"

"Which brings up my next question, _where_ are we, and _how _Naruto managed to summon me, or even more important, how he managed to get my key from Lucy?"

"I can explain the first one" Kurama said "but I have not the slightest idea about the second one… Naruto?"

"yeah, I can explain that one, but then you have to tell me what happened to force you to return to the Celestial world, I believe in you that Lucy is fine, you wouldn't be so calm if not, but I still want to know" Then he took a hesitating look "and, Loke?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry… I-I don't know what happened but… when you said Lucy could be in danger… and me being so far from her to help… (Sigh) sorry if I scared or worried you…" Loke only chuckled and ruffled his hair

"Don't worry Naruto, you were just concerned about Lucy's well being, and the others too I guess" Naruto only nodded "Then there's no harm done, that even proves me that you really care for her, maybe as much as I do" Now Naruto blushed a bit at that, the realization he had a couple of weeks ago when he arrived here made him think about how much he REALLY cared for her, Loke continued not noticing the rosy color his cheeks had taken "I should even thank you, because now I know that I can trust you to protect her if one day I can't do so" The blush was gone hearing that and he smiled him while nodding, then he stretched a fist and bumped it with Loke, any problem between them was now forgotten

"Sorry to interrupt the family reunion, but I think we still have an schedule Naruto" Kakashi said, finally making his presence known with Sakura and Sasuke flanking his sides, ready to jump into a fight at any sign of hostility; Loke stood again along with Naruto , but his expression turned serious and made his fists shine with golden energy, also ready to jump into a fight; Kakashi groaned seeing this "Really? What is it with you guys and your fists"

Naruto snickered at the cyclops reaction and put a hand over Loke's shoulder trying to make him relax and giving the other three a look that also asked for the same "Don't worry Loke, they are… friends, I guess you could say" he said with a bit of hesitation on that last part that made Kakashi sweat drop and Sasuke snicker "Oh, and that's Sakura" he added as an afterthought, said girl was debating between hope that he actually considered her a friend and annoyance at being addressed in such way.

"But that weirdo with one eye was about to attack you when I arrived"

"Ehhh… the _weirdo_ can hear you" Kakashi said mildly offended, he had been called many things during his life, but 'weirdo' seemed to touch a soft spot on the usually uncaring Jounin, and the offence increased when they plainly ignored him, and he even saw that Naruto liked that new nickname the moment he heard it… oh joy

"Don't worry about him, he's harmless" Sakura and Sasuke sweatdropped at Naruto's answer… calling Kakashi no Sharingan _harmless_? Said ninja seemed to get depressed after hearing that if the gloomy dark cloud hovering over his slumped head was any indicator… everyone rose an eyebrow at this, when did the cloud got there?

"Then why he was attacking you?"

"Well… we were in the middle of a test to see if I had what's necessary to become a ninja"

"Oh, become a nin-WHAT!? A-are you defecting from Fairy tail?"

"Heck no! I would never do such thing! Look, the whole mess here is-"

"Let me explain that part Naruto, it would also be good if one of you muppets stayed here to help me explain this" the three ninja rose an eyebrow at the nickname Kurama used, while Naruto and Loke did a terrible job trying to muffle the snickers or mask them as coughs, in the end they would only choke themselves while trying and start laughing afterwards, this creeped out even Kakashi (Sasuke begrudgingly admitted it afterwards) and everyone decided it was time to leave, not wanting to know what a 'muppet' was

"I-I think my shift at the hospital will start soon, better be going" Sakura was the first of the three and dashed out of the clearing before anyone could said anything, shortly followed by Sasuke

"I've lost enough time here today, I'll go elsewhere to catch up with my training" he said before Shunshining away Kami knows where, now only Kakashi was left and he gave them an awkward eye smile before trying to make his escape

"I've got enough information about you three and the work as a team now, so I think I'll leave now and report it to Tsunade-sama"

"Oh, like hell you will also escape scarecrow" Naruto said Shunshining behind him and taking a small orange book out of his pouch while he was distracted by the afterimage that was already fading where he stood before (He still hadn't saw one of those yet) "You choose, stay and help Kurama explain this mess to Loke, or else…"

Kurama chuckled at the sight of the wide eyed and gaping Loke and Kakashi (he was sure he was gaping under that mask) once the afterimage vanished and both tracked the origin of the voice behind the cyclops, only to see a grinning Naruto with an orange book on one hand and another under said book, lit on flames and closing threateningly to it, the jounin was the firs one to react, and in a way that greatly pleased Naruto

"NO! nonononono please, not the collection edition with extra scenes and a personalized autograph by Jiraya-sama himself! He doesn't deserve an end similar to his brother… I'll stay and help, if you promise you will not harm him and give it back afterwards" he pleaded on his knees and let out a relieved sigh when Naruto turned the flames off

"I'll give it back only once you finish your part, I don't trust you to stay if I return it earlier" Kakashi eagerly nodded with his sight still locked on the small orange book on Naruto's hand "Geez, a week earlier I would have been freaked out by this, not even Levy would go to such lengths for a book"

Loke cleared his throat to get attention back to him, somehow managing to overcome his shock by the whole scene displayed before him, from Naruto's weird teleportation down to the weirdo's submission because of a book of all things, and face planted when said weirdo turned to him while standing, and stood in the same bored demeanor he was before like all that book stuff never happened on the first place, but still stealing glances over Naruto like checking if his precious book was still safe… indeed a weirdo.

"Thank you for your… willingly cooperation" he almost face planted again when he waved a hand in a 'no problem' gesture and curved his eye upwards, hadn't he knew better he would say that was a smile "Ooookayyyy, never mind… I think we haven't been formally introduced, my name is Loke and I'm the Celestial Spirit of Leo, the lion"

"Kakashi Hatake, Jounin of Konohagakure no sato"

"Konohagakure?" he asked turning to Kurama "Are we even still in the kingdom of Fiore?" Kurama chuckled awkwardly at this

"Ehhh… you could say that we are far, far away… better get comfortable for this" Loke nodded and turned to Naruto, who somehow was in the middle of a glaring contest against the weirdo

"Naruto?" the blonde only hmmed in acknowledge "Right now I'm here through the door you opened, so as long as I'm here it will feed up on you Magic power, so I'll return to the spirit world now and then I'll open my own door to return so my stay here won't be taxing for you, you used my key to summon me here, so I'm supposed to form a contract with you now, but my contract with Lucy is still active so I'll have to ask about that too, don't worry, I'll be back soon" and with that he vanished in a flash of light

"You heard him Naruto, he'll be gone for a while; why don't you give me back that book? I promise I won't leave" Naruto narrowed his eyes and slowly lifted the hand that held said book, the hopeful look Kakashi's eye took was whipped and replaced by an scared wide eye when Naruto again lit up his other hand under the book "You wouldn't dare…" Naruto narrowed his eyes even more until they were only slits and then closed his flaming hand to the book

"Try me" he simply said, and Kakashi's resolve was crushed when a flame managed to lick slightly the orange cover and left a small but noticeable black trail of it's passing, he slumped in defeat and Naruto grinned widely and turned off his hand "If we make to become a team, you'll teach me new stuff"

"Why? Don't you have enough with what you know already?"

"Loke has come here, which means there is a link between our worlds; I'm sure with his help we'll find a way back home soon, so I won't be around here for very much more time"

"B-but weren't you supposed to help us find Naruto?"

"Of course I'll still do that! I never go back on a promise, I'll still help you, but I won't be here all the time like now; I'm sure that there's a way to return here, just as there's a way to go back home, so once I find that I'll return to help you guys but now… It's been two weeks so far and I didn't had news about the guild until now, and that made me remember how much I REALLY missed them; If there's a chance to go back I'll take it even if it's just to say hi and tell them that I'm fine and where I will be before returning here to help… I can even convince some of the guys there to come here with me, I'm sure Natsu-nii would be more than happy to help"

Kakashi was about to answer but Kurama decided to add his five cents there "Yeah, don't get all gloomy on us now, you should be happy for Naruto that a chance like this one presented itself for him; besides this can make it easier for you to find a way to send us back home" Kakashi only sighed and nodded before giving Naruto an eye smile, then an idea occurred to him

"Ne, Naruto, this friend of yours will reappear here? Because if he can follow you I think I have an idea to kill time while we wait for him to return"

"He always appears near Lucy when he opens his own door, so I guess he has to appear close to his key or something like that… why?"

"How does the concept of water walking sounds to you?"

* * *

_(Play song: Organization XIII – Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Original Soundtrack)_

"We've found interesting news I'm sure you'll love to hear!" "**The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki has finally reappeared"** Two voices said from the darkness of a room, both voices came from the same source, one was light and cheerful while the other was dark and rough, two yellow orbs shone in their general direction

"Oh? So he has finally decided to come out of hiding and show himself again? Just in the nick of time, according to the planning the recollection was about to start too… I wonder what he could have been doing" Another voice spoke there, lighting on a gas lamp slightly, the dim light revealed only a cloaked silhouette with short spiky hair

"**I think he could have been sent away in order to train" **said the rougher voice **"By what we could see he has managed to master a peculiar form of Katon release that he showed while a quick spar he had against Kakashi Hatake, he didn't even needed hand seals to cast the jutsus, besides some disturbing ability that allowed him to… eat fire, and also a strange way of summoning"**

"Yeah! He was kicking the cyclops ass and he didn't even break a sweat! There was this cool one he did that looked like he actually breathed fire like a dragon!" The cheerful voice said giddy, getting a thoughtful 'hmmm' from the third one in the room, after an amused chuckle escaped his throat

"Interesting news indeed, I'm sure Nagato will find this new development most… amusing, not that it would matter in the long run, we'll need the other eight before so there's plenty of time to measure him and see if he's actually a threat, but for now just report this to Nagato and let him deal with the rest of the group"

"**Will you make your presence known then? If you are letting me give a full report to Nagato then you must be planning something already"**

"While I'll indeed step out of the shadows to have a closer approach to the incoming events, it won't be as myself since I need to remain unnoticed until the time comes to finally make my move; I should blame you for this, after all it's because of the information you just gave me that my curiosity has been… sparkled"

"I think you should just go and get everything done" the cheerful voice whined childishly "It's not like you are not able to do it by yourself, and all this secret organization game is getting really boring" the third voice chuckled darkly listening this

"You should know, Zetzu, that Madara taught me better than that…" then he made the lamp shine more, now illuminating the room where two people stood… well, more like one person and one plant-human thing that looked like a Venus flytrap, inside it a head could be seen with yellow eyes and two sides, one white and another black, while the human one had an orange mask with a swirl pattern that ended in a hole where his right eye was; both wore a dark cloak with a red cloud pattern on it that covered their whole body, leaving only visible blue Shinobi sandals visible on the masked one feet, and he spoke on a tone that sounded like a childish imitation of the cheerful voice from before "And Tobi is such a good boy!"

_(End Song)_

* * *

Naruto went along with Kakashi to the Hokage's office after he, surprisingly for Kakashi, learned the water walking exercise in a couple of hours, but like Loke hadn't returned yet and like he didn't wished to lose sight of the scarecrow he followed him when he said he needed to report about today's test; Kurama decided to head for the apartment and wait there for them for when Loke arrived.

"And my verdict is that he is ready, his strength alone is already outstanding, and even if I didn't saw then in a coordinated attack he didn't doubted a second to jump into danger to protect his teammate…" Naruto frowned at that memory, and added Loke to his mental note of people to talk about his suspicions "… that alone speaks a lot about his willingness to work in a team, and Sakura and Sasuke make a perfect teamwork, so I'm sure he'll fit there perfectly, therefore I deem-"

"Sorry if I'm late, I had a lot of homework and exams to check at the academy and the secretary told me I could just enter"

"Oh, there's no problem Iruka, actually I think you arrive just in time" Tsunade said with feigned please, she could see where this was headed and she didn't liked it a bit "Kakashi was about to tell Naruto the good news and I'm sure you would like to give him this" she said while taking out a Hitae-ate from a drawer on her desk, it looked worn but the metal plate still shone with the light, it was sewed to a long black cloth, and Iruka immediately recognized it as the Hitae-ate Sasuke brought back _that_ day… the one he had gifted Naruto the day he graduated.

"Hey Iruka, what is that thing Baa-chan gave you?" Iruka's eye twitched in annoyance, he was used to (and greatly missed) the affectionate tone Naruto had every time he called him 'Iruka-sensei', now thanks to his memory loss every time he called him bay his name, it sounded… blunt, and he just couldn't get used to that.

"This, Naruto, is something I'm sure you have earned rightfully, so with Kakashi-san permission" he looked at him and he nodded "I would like to give you your Hitae-ate Naruto, now you are officially part of the Konoha Shinobi force, congratulations" and then he smiled warmly and extended the hand in which he held the Hitae-ate to him.

Naruto lazily turned his gaze to the piece of metal strapped to the black cloth, but when his eyes landed on it his mind instantly went blank, something inside him demanded, screamed him to take it and tie it around his forehead, that it belonged to him and with it he would be complete, but unlike previous times he couldn't shake the feeling off because it was simply overwhelming.

_(Play song: Roxas – Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Original Soundtrack)_

"Come on Naruto, take it" the soft voice of the scarred teacher in front of him distracted his eyes from the piece of metal, no… _Hitae-ate_ and forced them to focus on him, for a moment he forgot who he was, but didn't really forgot him, he knew the person before him, but there was a name, a feeling lacking… Iruka, no… _Iruka-sensei_, acceptance, friendship, care… he couldn't fight against that simple suggestion that felt more like a kind order, and slowly his trembling hands reached for the, no… _his _Hitae-ate and carefully held it on his two open palms, the leaf symbol engraved on it being carefully caressed by his thumb.

Glazed eyes looked beyond the metal plate in front of them, into flashes of something foreign that seemed so personal at the same time…

"_My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'll become Hokage one day, believe it!"_ My name…

"_You want to know why people hate you? It's because you have the Kyuubi sealed inside you…" _What I am…

"_He is not the fox, he is Naruto Uzumaki, ninja of Konoha and… one of my precious people" _Where I belong…

"_I don't know why I did it, my body moved on it's own…" _Who I care for…

"_I'll bring you back to the village, even if I have to break every bone in your body" _My goal…

"_My name is Tsunade Senju, and I am the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato!"_ Who I helped…

"_I believe in you Naruto, It's a father's duty to believe in their sons after all" _My family…

"_And with a tiny but loud cry you were born in this world…" _My family…

"Are you ok Naruto?" a new voice took him out of his trance and he saw another foreign yet familiar face he struggled to remember; Scarecrow? Cyclops? No… Weirdo? No! Kakashi? Yes, no… _Kakashi-sensei,_ respect, care… _betrayal…_

He struggled to say something as weird images flashed on his head, and orange mask, red clouds, tailed beasts, red eyes, purple eyes, a leaf, sand, mist, clouds, rocks, swords… so many that his head started to hurt "Where… Iruka-sensei… Kakashi-sensei…" he said through gritted teeth while holding his head with his fists, the Hitae-ate still on one of them

Both nin eyes widened after hearing their names being called in that so familiar and missed way, and were so shocked by the idea of Naruto finally remembering them that they froze on their spot and did nor say anything to him, sadly for them in that moment Loke appeared in a flash of light next to Naruto

_(End Song)_

"Okay, now I really need some explanations because according to what… Naruto, are you ok?" That voice, he knew that voice, he had grown up with that voice… Loke, yes, his friend, his guild mate, his nakama, his family… and like that the pain in his head was gone, along with the foreign memories, like mist blown away by a strong gust of wind, leaving behind just uncertainty of what the hell happened the moment he spaced out, and why he spaced out in the first place.

"Y-yeah, I'm just a bit… confused, we were talking about something but then I spaced out… hey cyclops, what were we-" Kakashi was just staring wide eyed at him, and on it he could find something that looked like… hope? "Hey Iruka, what happened to the scarecrow?" He asked not turning to him, still trying to figure out what was so attractive of him to have the scarecrow eye locked on him, but when no answer came he turned to him, only to find him in a similar state "Iruka?" was this caused by what they were talking about? What they were talking about!

"Naruto?" He turned to see Tsunade-baachan after she called him, and couldn't help but rise an eyebrow at the sight, she looked pale and… worried? "Naruto Dragneel? Is that you?"

"Well duh! Of course it's me, who else?... What's going on guys? It looks like you just saw a ghost… there aren't any ghosts here right?" Now Tsunade's face regained color, and looked relieved, just what were they talking about? Was this because of that? Well, at least now Iruka and the scarecrow looked somewhat normal compared to before

"Maa, relax Naruto, It's just that for a moment you just froze there and we didn't knew what to do, right Iruka-san?"

"Y-yeah, we were just worried about you Naruto… are you fine now?"

Naruto accepted the excuse, even if it sounded lame even to themselves, mostly because he didn't wished to dwell on that much, there was still an explanation pendant for Loke "Yes, I feel fine now, but what were we talking about before? It's kindda white n' foggy and I can't remember whatever it was"

Kakashi pointed to the piece of metal on his hand with an eye smile "We were discussing on how you did a great job during the test and that now you are part of the village as a ninja, we were giving you your Hitae-ate" he looked down at it and felt a funny feeling on his gut, but shrugged it without a problem and sighed tiredly

"Now I'm in a team with the Teme and the cyclops… huzza!" he drawled with mock enthusiasm before shrugging and storing the Hitae-ate in a pocket of his pant "Well, if that's all I think there are some explanations that are needed to be done, ne cyclops?"

"I think I won't go with you right now, I'm sure Tsunade-sama wishes to have a more detailed report, right?"

"Oh no, of course you won't scarecrow" and grabbing his and Loke's shoulders he shunshined them to his apartment, missing the relieved and disappointed looks on Tsunade's and Iruka's eyes

When they arrived at Naruto's apartment a couple of seconds later Loke was green, trying to keep whatever he had on his stomach inside while Kakashi looked slightly dizzy "I must say that's even faster than what I'm used to, good work Naruto" said blonde smiled before leaving the hall/kitchen to look for Kurama on the bedroom, and giving Loke some time to recover and make his surely spinning world stop.

A bit later he re-entered the hall/kitchen along with Kurama, who smirked at the sight of the still green Loke, who even if looked still sick was good enough to speak without worries of introducing his lunch to the others (or at least that was he thought) "What happened overgrown Kitten? Don't tell me you got sick after that small dash, geez, and one would think that you being used to dimensional travels could handle more than that…" Kurama teased him while shaking his head in mock disappointment, Loke only glared at him and tried to answer, I repeat, tried, but as soon as he opened his mouth he immediately closed it and puffed his cheeks in a way that could make a chipmunk jealous

"Hey Loke, are you at least good enough to listen what we need to tell you?" He turned to him and nodded while also glaring at him, Naruto raised his hands in a placating manner "hey, sorry for not warning you but if I didn't did that the scarecrow would have escaped, besides I also had to get used to it the same way you are right now until I learned how to do it" well, actually it was his clones who had to get used to it, but Loke didn't needed to learn that little detail "but don't worry, I'll teach you how to do it later" Loke held the glare for a second before closing his eyes while releasing air through his nose and nodding, he sat down on the nearby couch and, still not opening his eyes, made a movement with his hand signaling them to start speaking

Kurama was the first one to speak, making clear that now they were on a different world at which Loke only nodded, and once that was cleared he explained how they were sucked into this world and how they ended in the village (the version he made up for Naruto of course) and how here there was another Naruto the people from the village were looking for since he disappeared four years ago, and how Naruto made a deal with them that he would help them find their Naruto and they would help him find a way back to Earthland; after that Kakashi explained how before Naruto could actively help them he needed to become a ninja of the village in order to avoid problems, the training he went under and how today he finally gained his Hitae-ate and now he would be recognized as a Shinobi of Konoha all the time he wore that Hitae-ate; after hearing all this, the now clearly not nauseous Loke finally spoke

"I see… that actually explains a lot of things that were told to me on the Celestial world, but there's still the question of why Naruto had my key and how he managed to summon me here" At this Naruto breathed deeply before telling Loke what he needed to know

His explanation was clearly shorter than Kurama and Kakashi's one, being only about how Lucy entrusted him the care of his key before they went to the Tenriou Island and then about Jiraya teaching him summoning through the toads, at Loke's risen eyebrow he explained that there were big toads, huge toads that could easily step over them if not being careful; and then how he used the same method to summon him during that test with his key

"Interesting… was there something else about those summons? Like any extra requirement or a special token to summon them?"

"No… well, besides the blood needed for the handseals there's nothing el… wait, now that you mention it the pervert said something about Uzumaki's name being signed in a contract or something like that when he summoned this really big toad he called Galabuda I think, can't remember the name well… I guess me being Uzumaki's counterpart here allows me to summon them by that contract…"

"Actually…" Kakashi said rising a hand like asking for permission to talk "to clear a couple of things here, first the name of the toad boss summon is Gamabunta, not whatever you called him Naruto, I'm sure he would take offence on that" Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head at the pointed look Kakashi gave him "And secondly, I don't know how summoning works for you Loke-san but-"

"Just Loke, I don't really like honorifics, those make me feel old"

"Well, you are a Celestial Spirit" Naruto pointed "Some are older than Lucy so I can only guess your real ag-hmmmppffff" His mouth was covered by one of Loke's hands, while he turned to see Kakashi with an eyebrow twitching, said Jounin found the scene amusing but decided against saying something about it, he had learned enough about pissing people with overpowered punches already with Tsunade, better not test his luck with this one

"Like I said, only Loke please" he said once Naruto stopped struggling and wisely decided to shut up

"Okay then, Loke, like I was saying summoning here is quite an exclusive… privilege" then he did a couple of handseals and in a poof of smoke a normal sized scroll appeared between his two only extended fingers "Here we work with… blood contracts you could say" he unrolled the contract and what took their attention was the signature and palm imprint on it, both on a weird looking red ink.

Doing the handseals required and drawing some blood Kakashi summoned his favorite ninken, which appeared in a poof of smoke; the small pug lifted a paw to greet them once the smoke cleared "Yo! What you need me for this time Kakashi?" but said cyclops ignored him completely and kept explaining.

"This is Pakkun, one of my summons, and even if I raised and trained him and the rest of the pack I decided to make them summoning instead of simple ninken, that way they will always be ready to assist me when I use a burst of my chakra to summon them" he then re-rolled the scroll and made it vanish in a poof of smoke "Minato-sensei was a seal master, and he was the one who helped me create the contract for my ninken, I can explain what I know about it's working if you wish" Loke looked positively interested on that information and nodded, Kurama was next to him also eager to listen, after all he also became a forced summon a long time ago, and even if it was against his will, he fell the need to know about his previous status.

For some more time Kakashi explained Loke and Kurama how summoning worked on this world, why it was needed a written contract that was life-long and why it was important a signature with blood on said contract, along with many other things that Loke and Kurama seemed to find interesting, but he and Pakkun found utterly boring, first him because he understood little to nothing of what they were talking about, and then Pakkun because he knew all that stuff by memory, so to kill some time while the other group finished their conversation they decided to talk about random things, reaching a point where Uzumaki was brought as a topic and the small pug told him what he knew about their Naruto, the missions his team went to and the impressive, even if few, achievements said blonde genin accomplished before he disappeared and that only fueled his desire to meet him.

Once Kakashi finished his explanation he stated that it was a bit late (indeed, it was already dark outside) and he still needed to deepen his report with Tsunade, so he dismissed Pakkun and patiently waited until Naruto finally gave him his little orange book back (he actually cried in relief once it was back on his hands and hugged it like a long lost son… creepy in Kurama's opinion, and Loke and Naruto found one more reason to keep calling him weirdo) before he shunshined back to the Hokage tower, leaving Loke, Naruto and Kurama alone on the apartment.

"Now everything is clearer, at least for me" Loke said after a thoughtful silence between the three "In order to make a summoning in this world you need a link between the summoner and the summon, that link being that blood signature on the contract scroll; but you" he said looking directly to Naruto, who squirmed a bit under the serious (and a bit annoyed) look of Loke "Had my key with you and used it as the link to bring me here by doing that 'blood payment' you have to do while doing those weird figures with your hands"

"Handseals"

"Whatever, so by doing that you also formed a link between us on _this_ world, that's why the Spirit King told me that the moment I appeared here a contract was forged immediately, but I still have my contract with Lucy active because it was forged back in Earthland… funny and weird as it sounds now you're a bastardized version of a Celestial mage, but one nonetheless, and I'm your first spirit… congratulations I guess"

"Hehehe… thanks?" Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched his cheek with one finger in embarrassment, probably Loke was now angry at him because this mess caused some kind of problem with him

"Meh… don't worry about it, guess it's better it was me rather than Aquarius or Taurus, those would have been really a handful for you to get along with, we are already friends so there's no problem by my side… do you have any?"

"N-no! I mean, it's cool ya' know? Now I have something in common with Lucy, and she can help me understand all this Celestial mage thing if I need some help and you are busy, because you said your contract with her is still active right? I guess we both agree that she is your priority over me" Loke nodded and sighed before giving him an amused and friendly smile

"This is by far the weirdest thing that has happened to me… two contracts? If you have told me this yesterday I would have laughed on your face and said that Erza punched too hard this time and made you delusional, this is the first time something like this has happened ever! Even the Spirit King looked surprised while he explained this to me" Kurama snickered hearing this, Naruto always had a tendency of making impossible things happen, heck, if turning from being a ninja to being a mage tutored by a dragon of all beings wasn't a clear sign of that then he was a harmless koala

"Soooo, can you tell me now if you have some way to take us back home? Or at least any idea? I can't say I disliked my time here, the guys here are good people, even if they are a bit… eccentric you called them Kurama?" the fox nodded "But I really can't wait when time to return home arrives, I learned a lot of cool stuff here that I want to teach it to you and-" he was cut off by Loke when he raised a hand and looked at him seriously

"Tomorrow I'll take you two with me to the Celestial world to have an audience with the Spirit King, he'll be more capable of explaining you about why you could be here and… how we can help everyone that was at the Tenriou Island"

"B-but you told me that-"

"They are fine and safe, the Spirit King assured me that himself, but… something happened during the S-rank trial that ended in them being caught in an… special situation, the Spirit King can tell you more about that himself since I didn't saw how it finished because I was forced to return to the Celestial World, but they are fine like I said so don't worry about that, but they still need our help since only us can do that for now" naruto seemed to think about it for a second before locking his azure orbs with Loke's eyes and nodding, burning determination shining in them decided to help his family in whatever problem they were caught in… Lucy, Natsu… he would help them no matter what, all the guys there were his family and they were his priority

After the mood lightened from the previous seriousness Naruto blessed Loke and Kurama with his cooking, who enjoyed it even if it was ramen again, much to Kurama's dismay, and waved him goodbye before he returned to the Celestial world to tell the Spirit King about his new findings and confirming that they would assist the meeting he called for.

That night both inhabitants of the apartment barely slept, one really excited at the idea of being one step closer to returning home and helping his family in whatever 'situation' they got caught, while the other, even if also happy at the idea of being sooner to return home, was also full of fear and uncertainty wondering if that meeting the next day was really a good idea, Loke said that the Spirit King could know why they were here, and even if the chances of him knowing the truth about Naruto's origins were dim he couldn't help but wonder… "What if he already knows about Naruto's previous life?"


	8. A favorable solution for everyone?

**(A/N): Hey guys, new chapter on the programed date again (yay!) and now that I have some extra help I hope that can continue... yes, I finally deciphered how the Beta reader works and I found one (yay! again :D) all you guys say thanks with me to stormei kittie for her help on this last chapter, she's helping me with the Fairy Tail side of the fic, so if anyone wishes to help with the Naruto side I'll gladly accept the help, the offer is open until the next chapter is up... or until someone decides to take their time to help me**

**Anyway, this week only 3 reviews u.u, but I don't mind that much, after all I make this because is something I enjoy and I hope you also enjoy... for you loganhunter2... sadly i'm not a big fan of Harems, so you won't be seeing any of that here... but the idea of a Yamanaka doing a mindwalk is indeed good, don't know why I didn't got it before... nice going :D (Oh, about him staying in Konoha in the end... you'll have to wait to see if that happens in the end) **

**And we start with some of cannon Naruto developement along with an extra apereance of Fairy Tail, the last one for this first part, and I hope you find my explanations satisfying**

**"Oh, really, like he said before Segaku likes Kingdom Hearts a lot, so here's a little... minigame I will play with you, in a couple, if not more, of the previous chapters some quotations have been added in the history, so for anyone there who can tell exactly which ones and in what games of the serie they appear I'll award with... a cookie! (lol) nah, I'll award letting you decide which of your favorite villians of Fairy Tail appears first in the fic, like some kind of a more 'reader-participative expirience' for you all according to Segaku... I know, I know, He's awsome like that (avoids an egg thrown at him) Hey! I'm only the messenger, he puts the words in my part of the a/n"**

**During this week I'll also update a second 'Echoes of war' and I want you to tell me which one you wish, I'll let you decide between Lee, Sakura or Tsunade... the rest are heavy hitters so I'll let their complete histories for later, but with brief mentions on the chapters like you'll see here, well that's all for now, favorite and follow if you like my... our humble work (I'm not forgetting your help kittie) and REVIEW! please?... ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**Disclaimer: Nah, too lazy to write it, believe what you want for this week (Except me owning Naruto or Fairy Tail)**

* * *

_"I don't need a weapon! My friends are my power!"_

_Sora, Kingdom hearts_

* * *

Chapter 7: A favorable solution…for everyone?

(_Play song: Xigbar – Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance Original Soundtrack_)

Nine shadows with human shapes were gathered in a dimly light room. Their forms could barely be seen with the scarce illumination. They seemed didn't pay attention to that little detail since every pair of eyes-varying in color (and shape) were focused in the shadow that had two purple orbs with a circular concentric pattern in either of them. Their stoic and impassive sight towards the others signaled that their owner possessed a higher rank among the others present.

"I have summoned you again after these four years of preparations. This is because according to recent reports, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki has been sighted back in Konoha. This has signaled the start of the next stage of our plan and the recollection of the Bijuus just in time of our original projections. Your teams will remain as they were originally formed." the purple-eyed man said, ignoring the loud groan and two heavy sighs he heard.

"So you already know your missions. Itachi, Kisame, Zetzu will meet you in your current location to brief you on the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki current status. It seems he had undergone a special training and Zetzu possesses information that can help you accomplish your goal of capturing him."

One of the shadows- the one with red eyes bowed slightly and it's silhouette vanished from the room, while the one next to him spoke in a tone that clearly expressed amusement, "Oh? Well then, I hope the brat now proves to be a worthy opponent, unlike our last meeting…" he trailed off and then it disappeared while his chuckle echoed.

A couple of yellow eyes also retracted on the darkness of the room after a nod from the purple-eyed man.

"Sasori, Deidara, you are to start the hunt by capturing the Ichibi Jinchuuriki as soon as you are ready, since we can't capture the others without sealing it first. Hidan, Kakuzu, you are to locate the current position of the Nibi Jinchuuriki meanwhile and wait until the Ichibi is sealed to capture it. You are dismissed." with that said, the speaking shadow vanished along with the silent one next to him, leaving the 4 remaining ones alone in the room.

"We are leaving, Deidara. I need to contact any surviving sleeping agent in Suna if we wish to enter without being noticed. According to my spy network they have been having…_unfortunate_ accidents since a group of Konoha ninjas arrived in the city. I will also need to check on my Konoha spies to figure out how they knew about them. I have no doubt it's their doing but, I must be sure of how compromised my network is and if I need to create a new one to avoid more information leaks…" a hunched shadow said in a guttural tone to the one next to him before vanishing.

"I like more the idea of a fast and quick strike, Sasori-Danna," the shadow suggested to the empty spot next to it before sighing, defeated, "at least now the world will enjoy my art once again, un." and then it vanished just like the rest.

"Fucking great, now everyone else gets to kill people except us. Now, what will I be able to offer to Jashin-sama?" one of the remaining shadows cursed, clearly annoyed, while the one next to him grumbled in annoyance.

"Shut up Hidan, the leader told us to trail the Jinchuuriki, but said nothing against collecting some bounty on the way… I'm aware that the Nibi Jinchuuriki is a Kumo-nin, and there are some quite interesting bounties on the Land of Lightning, so stop whining or I'll cut off your head…again. I know one day I'll find a way to finally kill you."

"Oh, you shut up! What do you think you know, you big palooka?!" Hidan sneered at him before his shadow vanished from the room, leaving behind only his partner's shadow which was chuckling darkly.

"What do I know?" he said with amusement lacing his voice before also vanishing.

Once the room was totally empty and silent, a man stepped inside the dimly lit room. A lone red eye shining with a dark pattern on it.

(_Change song: Organization XIII – Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Original Soundtrack_)

"So the game has finally begun." he mused, "It will indeed be a memorable spectacle to witness, especially since now we have a new piece on the table…don't you agree?"

The soft tap of a cane touching the floor could be heard along with footsteps coming closer, and then a second person appeared on the room, standing in front of the red-eyed man. With the dim light illuminating the room, you could make out the edges of his face and body which was mostly covered in shadows, but glints of bandages and a green, tattered robe could be seen.

"I don't really care about your schemes, Uchiha. I'm only accepting this offer because by weakening the other villages, Konoha will regain her supremacy over them. The moment you decide to target her, consider our deal null and myself as an enemy." a calm and collected voice came from the new person on the room.

"I find your warning quite ironic since my end of our deal is helping you attack Konoha and allow you to seize power by force."

"Sacrifices must be done in order to achieve a greater goal, we, as Shinobi, know this. That is, assuring Konoha's position over any other village, minor or mayor, a goal that is worth any and every sacrifice."

The red eyed shadow nodded and stepped closer to the one in front of him, placing a hand over it's shoulder, "Then, we shall leave. There's much we have to discuss…Danzo-san."

Then, they both disappeared having been sucked into a swirl created by the red eye, which shone with a malicious tint of red before vanishing.

(_End Song_)

* * *

The morning came too slow for Naruto's liking, who despite having slept less than a couple of hours, was still full of energy and excitement at the idea of meeting someone who could help him go back home faster…but, on the other side of the coin, his fox friend looked like he could barely keep his eyes open, even least maintain himself floating on the air. Naruto found this amusing and worrying at the same time.

"Hey Kurama, are you feeling fine? I mean…you look like shit." Naruto stated bluntly.

Kurama snorted and yawned before answering, "I feel like shit, kit. Last night I could barely close my eyes." the fox replied tiredly, then deciding that flying was too tiring at the moment he returned to his spot on the couch, "That stuff Loke said about the others needing our help had me worried."

Well, it was partially true, he indeed was worried about the rest of their dysfunctional family, but the main cause of his insomnia was the plaguing worries about the Spirit King discovering Naruto's truth, and unveiling it to him.

"Don't worry, Loke said they are fine and you know we can trust him on that. Why don't you take a nap now? Meanwhile, I can prepare breakfast and wake you up once it's ready, what do you say?"

Kurama nodded and made himself comfortable on the couch, a nap sounded like a wonderful idea at the moment, and he let his tiredness wash over him, submerging him into sweet sleep. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Naruto smiling to him and waving goodbye, and then he fell asleep with a smirk on his muzzle.

For a moment, Naruto considered making ramen for breakfast, but in the end he decided against it after remembering that Kurama didn't liked the idea of eating it every day. Then seeing that he was quite tired, he opted for making something special for him. So, he prepared the stew-thing he made the first time he cooked here (It had actually been some kind of experiment since most of the original dish was lost the moment the kitchen exploded) and once it was ready he went to wake Kurama up, but when he saw him there sleeping peacefully he decided to let him continue sleeping and wake him up when Loke returned.

After he finished his food and stored Kurama's part on the fridge, an ANBU appeared just when he was about to do the dishes, startling him and making the bowl he was holding fly through the room and crash on a nearby wall.

"What the hell?! Don't you ninjas know the meaning of privacy?" he said while reaching for a broom to clean the shards of the broken bowl. Thankfully, Kurama was still sleeping on his spot at the couch

"I'm sorry Dragneel-san, but with all due respect you now are also a ninja, and I would suggest you use your Hitae-ate to signal it and avoid confusions as a civilian, especially on training grounds"

"Huh? This metal thing?" he said taking the Hitae-ate out of a pocket on his pants and holding it on a hand, "Yeah, yeah. I'll see where to use it later, but now tell me what you came for, I don't think you are here only to remind me that."

"Indeed, Dragneel-san. Hokage-sama has summoned you along with team 7 for a meeting with the council, and she expects you to be there immediately." Naruto sighed tiredly before putting the shards on the trash can and glanced towards Kurama.

"Does Kurama also need to be there? I would really prefer if he could stay and sleep some more time, he was really tired this morning."

"Hokage-sama didn't said anything about Kurama-san, so I guess there's no problem about leaving him here."

Naruto nodded and took a nearby scroll, ripping a piece out of it to leave a small note on the table for his friend if he woke up before he returned. Then, he turned to the ANBU and nodded, the ANBU put a hand on his shoulder and took him outside the council meeting room with a shunshin.

* * *

There, he found Sakura, the cyclops, and the Teme already waiting for him, and had to raise an eyebrow at the annoyed expression on the usually bored eye of the weirdo, "What? First time someone makes you wait?"

"No, first time someone forces me to be on time. Anyway, this better be done with fast, I hope today we can start duty as Team 7."

That moment the door to the chamber opened and another ANBU signaled them to enter. The team did as told and entered into a circular room that looked like an auditorium. They were currently standing over a circular platform in front of many rows of seats posed in a half-moon formation, escalating in height as they separated from the center of the room.

In the first row in front of them, Naruto recognized Tsunade-baachan sited next to Ero-jiji, he hadn't seen the pervert since the day of their…discussion. Even if he no longer had problems being near him, it seemed that he didn't felt the same way, if the way he avoided his gaze, but still sometimes stole guilty looks to him was an indicator.

Next to him he saw someone who looked like an older version of Shikamaru, from the pineapple head down to the 'I would rather be sleeping' attitude, maybe someone familiar. And next to him, there was a man wearing white 'traditional clothes' whatever those were, for him it looked like some male version of the bathrobe Lucy usually used since he and his brother decided to make surprise visits to her home after they returned from a finished job and she was stepping out of the shower…weird that the people in this world used that on the streets without problems when back in Earthland Lucy would never dare to go outside her home wearing that.

Anyways, focusing again on the room he noticed that now the man on the male bathrobe was stoically returning the focused gaze. He had long black hair and hardened features on his face, his eyes looked like he was blind since they were all white and pupil-less, but he knew he could see him all too well, "Do you wish to tell me something Uz…Dragneel-san?"

"Eh? Oh, no, It's nothing, just that… are you family of that weird girl called Hinata?"

The whole room sweatdropped at the bluntness of the question and Tsunade facepalmed…to call Hinata weird in front of her father? Next thing, he would call Kakashi harmless in front of a potential threat or something like that.

Kakashi sneezed.

The guy he thought was Hinata's relative raised an amused eyebrow before answering "Indeed, I am a…close relative of her, and I must say that I find your comment of her being weird quite…unpleasant, may I ask why you came to this conclusion?"

"Well, she never hangs out with the rest of Uzumaki's friends when I'm around." He started listing what he said with his fingers, "Sometimes, I've seen her unconscious on the ground when I exit the training grounds after training and had to take her to the hospital."

Well, he didn't mentioned that usually he took out his waistcoat and scarf to train more freely, but he didn't deemed that important at the moment, "Sometimes, while I'm walking and we are close to cross paths she turns red when I greet her and starts to run elsewhere…"

Now he started to tap his chin like trying to remember something, not noticing the embarrassed and the now-not-that-stoic face of the Hyuuga, and the smug grins the other people on the room were directing him.

"There was also that one time that Kurama told me he found her standing outside my apartment with those creepy veins bulged around her eyes while I was taking a bath… oh, there's also that time when-"

"I think that's enough Dragneel-san" the Hyuuga interrupted him a bit hurriedly, trying his best to ignore the chuckles and whispers around him, he would have a long talk with Hinata later that day, "And I must say that indeed my daughter's actions had been…weird"

If not outright creepy and perverted, that would explain her recent streak of visits to the hospital due to blood loss, "I hope her actions haven't bothered you."

"Nah, I'm kinda used to that, back in the guild there's this girl called Juvia that also does all that kind of stuff to a guy called Gray becau-"

His nonchalant demeanor was quickly replaced by a series of reactions that followed each other in mere seconds. First, there was realization, followed by surprise, then amusement which immediately changed into dreadful realization if his widened, surprised and fearful eyes were an indicator, accompanied with blood leaving his face and his mouth staying opened, unable to articulate word, and fearfully he turned his gaze to the amused Tsunade, "You said those weird eyes could see beyond even walls, right?"

At her smirking nod, he became even paler and whimpered, suddenly feeling like hugging himself, "I feel violated…" he muttered more to himself, but most of the room could still hear him.

At that moment, a woman seated on the second row of seats exploded on laughter, she had wild-spiky hair and marks on each cheek that looked like red fangs, "Oh Hiashi, I didn't knew little Hinata had it in her, indeed the shy ones are always the most dangerous!" she managed to say before laughter overcame her again, reaching the point of having difficulty to breath.

"I must agree with Inuzuka-san." another voice spoke on a composed, even if a bit amused tone.

He was totally covered by a high collar jacket under a bigger hooded cloak and dark sunglasses, "Why you ask? Because it's weird to hear about a Hyuuga acting in a so...inappropriate way." if he was smirking while saying this, it was covered by the high collar of his jacket.

"I must also agree with Tsume" another guy said.

This one looked like an older version of Chouji dressed on a full red armor adjusted to his…bigger body, he was also laughing loudly, but his sounded more composed than the other woman's one, "Maybe we should make Kakashi, or even Jiraya-sama become her new tutor."

The whole room shared a laugh after hearing that, well, everyone except Naruto, who paled even more at the idea of that pervert tutoring someone like Juvia…at least he found solace on Hinata's relative, his face covered by his hands in shame told him that he was also against that idea.

"Okay, enough with the teasing everyone." the Shikamaru look-alike said with a lazy smile, earning him a grateful look from behind the hands of the Hyuuga once the laughter stopped...only to make him slam his forehead on the desk in front of him in a very un-Hyuuga display of anger and embarrassment because of his next words.

"I'm sure Hiashi will have his job cut for him once Hinata gets her hands over Naruto here."

If the laughter originated by this statement was strong, it only increased after Hiashi's reaction and Naruto's even paler face, his tone now could make Orochimaru's skin look like he had sunburn.

But despite the comical situation Naruto and Hiashi were in, Tsunade, Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura didn't found Shikaku's last statement funny in the slightest, and couldn't help but frown when the memory of a distant (and hopefully never again coming) war time came to their minds, when a confused and frightened Hinata turned her back to the healing heart of a blonde genin because he was not the one who reached her in time, and how it was too late when she realized that she had misunderstood her feelings and tried to correct her mistake.

"Even if this whole situation is pretty amusing and funny." Jiraya finally said, taking pity on Naruto and Hiashi, "I think it's time to focus on more serious matters, like the reason of this meeting."

Hearing this, everyone sobered and the room felt silent again, and only once he was sure the mocking had totally stopped, Hiashi lifted his head from the desk and put on his stoic mask on again. Just that this time, a medium sized red spot on his forehead (where he hit the desk) ruined the image.

"Very well, this meeting was addressed to introduce the new team Kakashi to the ninja council." Tsunade said, "Naruto here has volunteered to help on our search of Naruto Uzumaki due to his importance to the village, besides other personal reasons I'm sure means no harm to Konoha."

"He has been admitted on the village's ninja force and rightfully earned his Hitae-ate, but we still don't know what rank give him. Kakashi, Tsunade and I can give testimony of his prowess in the few jutsus he has learned and mastered, and his own set of skills is already something else…sadly we know that strength alone is not enough. So, Shikaku?"

"I can arrange something…there's a decree on the village's law that allows the Jounin commander to give an automatic promotion to whoever he deems worthy of it by a test he sees convenient to test his or her skills. It has not been used since war times because, well, quick promotions to skilled but inexperienced young ninjas has proven to be not one on the brightest ideas, but seeing this one is an exceptional case it can be applied, now the question that remains is how to test him…"

"If I may suggest something Shikaku-san, I would say that a fight would be a good idea." Sasuke said, earning the attention of everyone present, "During the test Kakashi put our team under, there was a moment he went on a solo fight against Naruto, and was pushed to retreat in the end despite having his Sharingan active."

This perked the attention of more than one, Kakashi's legendary Sharingan beaten by an unknown?

"What I have in mind is some kind of endurance fight with some of Naruto's graduating class. We know that by the time he disappeared he was on equal ground with many of us, so this would show us how much difference is between our Naruto and this dobe."

Naruto glared at Sasuke before opening his mouth to finally voice his opinion, "Hey, hey, hold on a second here. If you haven't noticed, I'm still here and you are talking about my future here like it's nothing I have opinion in."

"You don't want to fight against us? Last time I asked you seemed pretty excited at the idea."

"I can handle all of you any day you want, and you know I'm not talking about that here Teme…I'm here helping you on a deal I made with Baa-chan and I only agreed with this ninja stuff to make my help easier for you to deal with and don't bring problems for you like you said it could happen, heck, I even decided to play along with all that amnesia thing only to make dealing with my presence here easier for you, but right now it looks like you consider me only one more of your village's weapons, just like any other ninja, and that only because of this." he said taking out the Hitae-ate he was given the previous day, "I'm going to swear loyalty to you and do whatever you wish for your village's sake."

Everyone on the room fell silent after that. Actually, they believed that if they ranked him that would be a reason to make him stay in the village and force his loyalty…it seemed that it backfired

"That old pervert made it clear the day we spoke about Uzumaki, he told me that I wouldn't understand why you made his life a living hell because I am from another world and I would not comprehend your reasons, well then, I also have my own reasons to do this," he threw the Hitae-ate he was holding on a hand to Tsunade, "and you won't comprehend them because you are not from my world."

Jiraya felt like banging his head on the desk at that moment, now he regretted the easy escape he took that day. He should have confronted his regrets that day and finally do a good thing for his godson, he still remembered the blonde child he met that day on the Onsen all those years ago demanding training…and now that same boy had no idea of who he was, and that day he confronted him for the failures he committed against him thinking that it was against another person, and instead of at least trying to mend things now that he didn't remembered him, he escaped like a coward, fleeing from the growing list of wrongs he had not cared, or was too afraid to face that he did to the boy.

He should have confronted the fox that day. He saw the fox's reactions that day and instantly knew that all that other world thing, even if maybe it was true, was in the end something the fox was using to hide the truth from Naruto, because he was Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, his godson and…his greatest failure, if that day he had forced the fox to tell the truth the boy he met all those years ago would have returned, calling him Ero-sennin and ranting about how he was a pervert, but looking up to him with respect and happiness each time he offered his help to him in becoming a better ninja…he even thought about taking him as an apprentice in a long term training mission outside the village…but now this boy was refusing all that the kid he wished so much to have back desired his whole life.

He was about to say something, anything to make him change his mind and not refuse his father's legacy, but just as he was about to open his mouth light filled the room for a second, and when it died a man dressed in a black suit and with orange messy and spiky hair was standing next to Naruto; immediately he along with a group of ANBU and the clan heads were ready to jump over the intruder, but Tsunade raised a hand ordering them to hold their place.

"What is it with you and your literally flashy entrances?" Kakashi grunted in an annoyed tone while rubbing his blinded eye, at which the newcomer answered with a sheepish chuckle and scratching the back of his head.

"Sorry Kakashi, Celestial world policy, not my call." then he turned around and saw the tense and ready to strike clan heads (not that he knew their status) and leaned to Naruto's side and spoke not taking his eyes away from them, "Did I came in a bad moment?"

"Nah, I'm sure we were already done here, is the Spirit King waiting for us?"

"Yeah, he has just sent me to take you…where is Kurama?"

"He was pretty tired in the morning, and I let him sleep some more time, can we go without him? I'm sure whatever your boss wants to tell me I can tell him later."

"My boss?"

"Well, he's the Spirit King and you're a Celestial Spirit, sooo that should make him your boss." Loke seemed to ponder this reasoning for a moment before shrugging.

"Yeah, sure, never considered it from that perspective but I guess you're right…not that it matter in the end but it's good to know, you ready to go? The Spirit King is waiting."

"Okay…wait just a second."

He turned to Tsunade, who was patiently waiting for them to finish, unlike the rest of the people in the room who never before in their lives were so openly ignored. Jiraya and Kakashi maybe being the exception but annoyed nonetheless, "Hey baa-chan, I'll go with Loke for a while to see if his boss know how to send us back home, if Kurama comes searching tell him that I'll tell him whatever we find out later once we return."

Now, he turned back to Loke and nodded, "Okay, now I'm ready to go."

The said spirit put a hand on his shoulder and then both disappeared in a flash of light before anyone could say anything.

Tsunade sighed tiredly while massaging her temples, from being Hokage to deliver messages for Naruto, great, "Well, it seems this meeting is postponed until first; Naruto returns from wherever he's gone, and second; we convince him that we don't want to control him, nice going Shikaku, Jiraya and Sasuke…(sigh) I'll try to talk with him later once he returns, after that if I manage to convince him we'll try a different approach, dismissed."

Silently, she was pleased with the meeting outcome, but she still needed to be on the others good side. Not even once she believed most of the council were interested on Naruto's well being, they only saw him as a possible overpowered weapon against other villages if they managed to make him stay.

Clearly, their plan of using his integration to the village's shinobi force as an anchor backfired, she would convince Naruto to stay for a little more but not to please them. Before she send him back she would give him his father's legacy, something she was too pressed to do the last time by a fearful council, and then with Pein's invasion all was lost, this time he would have his father's help becoming the legend he was meant to be.

* * *

When the light died down, Naruto found himself amazed by the sight before him, he was standing next to Loke on a huge platform with white pillars that held no roof. The said platform seemed to be floating on the space, if the endless sea of darkness filled with stars was any indicator. On the platform along with him were all the spirits he had seen Lucy summon before and in the center of it was someone huge, easily of Igneel's height if not taller, dressed in a mix of robes and armor with a huge sword strapped to his side and a helmet/crown that covered his head with a star design in front of it and two huge horns sprouting from the back part of it; the most attracting features of his face were the two big crystal-like red eyes and the huge weird looking moustache coming out of his face, since everything about the guy was huge Naruto guesses this was the Spirit King.

"Are you the one called Naruto Dragneel?" he spoke with a deep and booming voice that made Naruto loose his voice and weakly nod in confirmation.

Even just his voice screamed 'super powerful guy here, do not piss off' and seeing (somehow) his answer the king spoke once again, "You have come to find some answers, as well as to satisfy my curiosity about you so I will ask you now, which of your questions you wish to be answered first? How or why you were taken away from Earthland? Or what happened to your friends?"

Naruto did not even ponder on the options before answering, "I want to know about my friends and how to help them." he said without a trace of doubt on his voice and with fiery determination on his eyes.

At such sight the Spirit King nodded with a small smirk before turning his gaze to Loke, "Very well, you will explain him your knowledge first Leo, then I will explain what we recently found out" Loke nodded and turned to Naruto with a serious expression on his face that told him to listen and shut up.

Loke told him what he could remember about his run through the S-Class mage trial with Gray in the island until things went south with the attack of Grimiore Heart, he explained what he could collect about the dark guild before he met with Lucy and had to fight against Capricorn, the celestial spirit of Capricorn, and found out that he was actually possessed by a mage called Zoldeo, and he ordered Lucy to leave and help the others while he stayed back to defeat him.

"…In the end I managed to hit him with my Regulus, but the mage jumped to my body then. Luckily, Capricorn absorbed my Regulus and used it on me to force Zoldeo to leave my body and finally disappear since he had no body to posses. Both Capricorn and I were too damaged to continue so we had to return here to recover and then return to truly help later, but after that no spirit was summoned again by Lucy, and since our contract was intact we guessed she was fine, besides…"

Now he chuckled, "When I had to leave I sensed Laxus nearing the island, so I was sure they were fine."

"Laxus? But how? Makarov-jiji expelled him from the guild!"

"I have no idea. I'm just telling you what I know…now like I told you before, only until the moment you summoned me I thought everything was fine, and I thought that my inability to open my own door to the island was thanks to some spell casted by someone of Grimiore Heart during the battle, but then the rest of Lucy's spirits started to feel their connection with their keys weaken, but their contracts with Lucy were still active, so worried about what was happening they did a research along with the Spirit king while I was away with you." he stopped talking and glanced towards the Spirit King, who nodded signaling that he would continue the explanation.

"My old friend is fine, along with the rest of your friends, but they are trapped in some kind of breach in time and space."

"Breach? What are you talking about?"

"I'll try to make it simple for you." Loke said, making Naruto turn to him, "Think of it as some kind of prison where they don't age and time never passes, but they are also frozen inside of it, unaware of what's happening outside, and once they finally get out for their perception not even a second has passed since they entered, but years could have passed by…they are safe inside but they can't get out at will."

"And how much time they will be trapped there?" Naruto asked quite worried, sure, they were safe, but if they could not get out…

"That is unknown, it could be a couple of minutes from now, or like Leo said it could take years before the breach runs out of energy." The spirit king answered causing Naruto to pale in concern, years?

"But there is something we can do to help them get out of it…but at a high cost for you."

"I don't care, I will do whatever it's needed to help then get out of that place!" Naruto said, totally convinced of his words, he would do anything for them.

"I see…well then, tell me Naruto Dragneel, would you willingly trade your only chance to return to Earthland for a way to take your friends out of the breach?"

That caught Naruto off guard and made him rethink his words for a second…would he willingly trap himself and Kurama forever in this new world for a chance to free his nakama from that prison that could keep them forever inside? No…he would only trap himself in that new world and send Kurama back to Earthland to free his nakama, _that_ he could do.

"I would do that only if Kurama is still able to return, I would never force him to stay back with me when all our friends return back home…It may be a selfish decision but I would never allow my first best friend to have an unhappy life because of me." Naruto said with total confidence of his decision, earning warm and friendly smiles from every spirit on the platform (even Aquarius) and making the spirit king chuckle lightheartedly.

"I told you, he was worthy of the honor." Loke said to his boss, while smiling and ruffling Naruto's hair with a hand, much to the blonde's confusion.

"Hey, hey, hold on a second…why is everyone smiling? Is the idea of me never returning home that entertaining?"

(_Play song: Friends in my heart – Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Original Soundtrack_)

"Not everyone can become a celestial mage, old friend," the Spirit King said on a more cheerful tone, even if his voice was still deep and intimidating, "before a contract can be forged I must deem if the mage is worthy of the spirit, be it in terms of strength, intelligence or, the most important for us, if he or she can befriend and take care of us."

"But when you summoned me into that new world a contract was instantly forged without the Spirit King being able to judge you, and even if most of us already knew you would be a good summoner he still wished to be sure if it himself."

"You, old friend, have shown me that you value friendship more than even your own desires and that is a virtue we Celestial Spirits value and cherish above all other aspects, just like my other old friend, Lucy." he then smiled widely to Naruto, who looked like he just won the lottery (which in some sense he did, not every day you gain the favor of a god-like cosmic entity)

"Thereby, Naruto Dragneel, I deem you worthy of the title of 'Celestial Mage' and may every spirit you forge a contract with through their keys help you in your quest"

Every spirit present cheered hearing that, and such acceptance made Naruto feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Now I officially share a contract with you Naruto, and I could not me more proud of it." said Loke

"Leo has told me about you Naruto Dragneel, and I would also enjoy forging a contract with you if Lucy-sama allows it." Capricorn said while walking towards him along with the other golden spirits.

"I'll be moooooooore than ready to help you protect Lucy's body." -Taurus

"You will be a good new summoner Naruto, ebi." -Cancer

"We think that too, we thing that too." -Gemini, the twins, said as one

"Tch, just try not to be as annoying as that other blonde." -Aquarius

"You're strong, and I'll enjoy fighting by your side, yeah!" -Scorpio

"As long as you stand by Lucy's side, I'll stand by your side, moshi moshi" -Sagitarius

"If the princess allows, I would also like to forge a contract with you, prince…should I be punished?" -Virgo

"I-I would also l-like to h-help you N-Naruto-niisan, g-gomen" ended Aries, and even if the silver spirits said nothing, they all gave Naruto a supporting nod, signaling that they were also willing to help.

"Everyone…thanks." he then turned to the Spirit King, who was smiling brightly at the scene "So then, I won't have to give up returning to Earthland to help the others?"

(_End song_)

"No old friend, you can still help them and look for a way to return, but…"

"There are some good news and bad news regarding how you were sent there, as for the why…we have no idea." Loke said.

"There are a million reasons as to why and we can't be sure about which one could be right, but we are certain of how you ended there, and a way to exploit your situation to help your friends, so I feel the need to ask if you wish to know the good news first or the bad news." the spirit king said, and waited for Naruto's answer.

"Well, I guess we should start with the bad ones and save the good ones to lift the mood later, so tell me the bad news first." the spirit king nodded understanding his reasoning and started his explanation.

"The distortion in time and space that sent you to that world was specifically made for only you and your friend, someone on that world was aware of your existence in Earthland and aimed to take both of you for an unknown reason, like I said, there could be a million reasons, and created that distortion in a way that it could not be reversed to take you back to Earthland, so basically you are stuck on that world for an unknown amount of time."

"Wow, those are…really bad news." Naruto said, downcast and a bit shocked by that revelation, "So some random guy maybe is replicating his own version of the Anima and found Earthland, and seeing me and Kurama decided to test his new toy just for the heck of it?"

"Maybe, maybe not, like the Spirit King said there are far too many reasons for your situation, but we are sure that the distortion was made by a human, but enough of that, don't you want to hear the good news?" Naruto nodded absentmindedly, still thinking of why he was chosen along with Kurama, but when the Spirit King spoke again he focused on him.

"Even if that distortion cannot be reverse engineered, it can still be used to help your friends," at the confused look Naruto gave him, he explained further, "Somehow during your extraction from Earthland some of the estrange energy it emanated reacted with your own and some sort of…link was created, even if it closed after you crossed it you can still remotely open it on Earthland, of course the chance of doing that by yourself is simply impossible since your reserves of magic power are not big enough, but with someone else's help you can replicate the effect, even if in a much minor scale."

"According to what the Spirit king found out, that distortion is strong enough to be opened inside the breach containing our friends, so the good news is that we can take them out of that breach and bring them here or that other world until we find a way to return to Earthland." Loke said to Naruto, earning a beaming smile from the blonde as an answer.

"So, we can take them all at once and bring them here?" he asked excitedly to the Spirit King, who chuckled and shook his head in a negative way.

"Not yet, old friend, like I said before with enough help you can reopen that distortion in a smaller scale, the original one would have been able to do so, but yours will be able to transport only one person with the current help you'll get, because if you attempted something bigger the distortion may open, but would close before they could make it to this side, and that would be worse than their current situation."

Naruto gulped and nodded, he would play safe if his nakama security was on the line.

"I told you only us could help them, including Kurama, because only us have the guild mark on this world; the mark is more than just an insignia you see, it links all of us members of Fairy Tail to the tree on the Tenriou Island and with one another, and we can use that link to single out one of the people inside the breach and bring her here."

"Her? You mean…?"

"Yes, we will bring Lucy first, with her help and her spirits backing her up, and also with Kurama's help we will be able to bring the rest of the guys in only one go later, so are you ready to bring Lucy here?"

Naruto blinked confusedly at that, already? Loke seemed to notice his confusion, "Of course that if you don't feel ready to try it we can do it later."

"No, it's not that, just that it's all kinda too fast right now…now I know someone dragged me to that world along with Kurama and it was not just an accident, that our friends need our help, there's also the stuff of me helping find Uzumaki, that now we'll need to stay even more time to find a way to bring all of the guys we are going to rescue from that breach back to Earthland…but there's going to be time to worry about that later, now I'm all on this, so how do I activate this portal thing?"

"Focus on the one you want to bring here and feel the link between you by that mark." The spirit King instructed him and Naruto nodded, concentrating on it until he felt that connection with Lucy and the others trapped there, there was Natsu, Levy, Makarov-jiji, Laxus, Freed, Bixlow, Evergreen, Gajeel, Wendy, Cana, Gildarts, Elfman, Lissana, Mirajane, Juvia, Gray, Erza, Happy, Charle and Panther Lily, but right now he only focused of Lucy, the rest would need to wait for now, "Don't worry guys, I'll rescue you too."

"Done, now what?"

Now Loke put his hands over his shoulders and the Spirit King kept directing him, "Imagine yourself grabbing that link and pull it towards you here, the rest should happen by itself."

Naruto nodded once again and did as told, and as he pulled he felt how his reserves started to deplete, along with Loke's if him starting to breath heavily was any indicator, but he kept going nonetheless.

He struggled for what seemed like hours when only minutes passed, and in the end, with almost depleted reserves and Loke about to pass out behind him he made one final pull with all his might, on that moment he felt something activate, like when he used his magic, but this feeling was alien to him, and then the space in front of him distorted like a swirl _bending reality_ itself at its will, and some kind of portal opened there, big enough for a person to fit on it.

It was like a hole made in the air, pitch back in the inside…and a second later a familiar face stepped out of it, with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a white blouse with a blue miniskirt and brown boots, looking around with big curious and confused brown eyes, once she totally abandoned the portal it closed, stopping the drain on Naruto and Loke's reserves.

"Naruto? Where are…is that Loke?" she noticed all her spirits there too and only once she turned around she noticed the huge entity there, smiling widely at her, "Gah! The moustache guy! What is going on! Where is everyone else!?"

With what little strength Naruto had left he ran to the confused and freaked out Lucy and hugged her as if they had been away from each other for years, "Lucy! You're fine!" he chirped and started laughing like a child in a candy store along with every other spirit there while Lucy struggled to free herself from his arms to no avail, and deciding to wait until he got tired and/or decided to release her she let him hug her a bit tighter, wondering what was going on, and why she wasn't dead after Acnologia's final attack.


	9. Echoes of war - Tsunade

_"Why do all my attempts to reach you fail? If you won't obey, then you too will have to suffer Ventus' fate!" (sheds a tear and charges)_

_Master Eraqus, Kingdom hearts Birth by sleep_

* * *

Mini chapter: Echoes of war – Tsunade

Tsunade was once again alone in her office. She had sent Shizune home some time ago, but had decided to stay behind to clear her desk for the remaining paperwork. The reason for this was of course so that she could have some free time the next day - it had nothing to do with the fact that she would manage to hide a bottle of her high quality Sake from the eyes of her apprentice.

As she downed another cup of the beverage, she let silent tears run from her eyes. Nobody was there to see her crying, and she did well not to make a sound to prove it. However, sometimes this was the only way she knew how to cope with all the blood on her hands… War meant bloodshed no matter which side you were on, and that the ones fighting it weren't the ones responsible for it but the ones directing it from the safe seat, not caring that they led their soldiers towards their demise.

She had high disgust for blood; her previous hematophobia was test of that. However, as the Hokage she had to deal with the fact that she would have to send out ninjas everyday to something that might be their very last mission. Death was never pretty. You could die in so many different ways, but not a single one of them was anything but horrible and final. In some cases it was seen as necessary, but still; it wasn't pretty

The war had raged on, and as it did, the chance for her men and women's safe return decreased. She already knew that there were so many of them that would not return home, and that they, at the end of the day, would die a painful death surrounded by nothing but the familiar screams of their comrades. As a medic she couldn't help but feel disgusted; not only about the situation, but also about herself. If she'd gone out there to help them fight, then many of those lost lives would have been spared, but she hadn't. She couldn't have. As the Hokage she was needed at the control center beside the other four Kage.

She hated blood but she dealt with it the best way she could. It helped that she didn't have to see any of the bodies left in the trail of her orders… Never the less, that hate soon transformed into terror knowing that the blood could be the blood of someone she held dear.

Many times she cursed Naruto for forcing her into accepting the position.

Downing another cup, her mind wandered back, or ahead was it?… she didn't know nor care at this point. Still it brought up a memory she had tried to bury in the depths of her subconsciousness; never to be remembered. Sadly, her seemed to be of a mind that was a good time to look into it. After all Naruto had finally returned to the village after so many years.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

"Baa-chan, I know it's dangerous, but I must go with the attack teams this time. Gaara and Bee-ojisan are helping as many ninjas as they can, each on different fronts, and you know I can take care of myself."

"Please understand, Naruto. This is no longer the same situation as in the beginning of the war. Now, besides having to deal with Kabuto and his Edo-tensei, there's someone out there with enough power to control _six_ of the tailed beasts along with their Jinchuuriki. Not only that, but there's the hordes of that white freak with the ability to transform into anyone – and don't forget about the full powered, reanimated corpse of the real Madara Uchiha. All of them rampaging different battlefields; decreasing the number of our forces as if it was nothing but a game. This mission is way too close to their headquarters, and if our intelligence is right, then this is more like a desperate suicide mission with only slight hope of finally bringing Kabuto down."

"I… I know, but… I couldn't help Gaara because you prohibited me to join the protection team when they headed to Suna. Neither I was able to convince Shikamaru, and because of that Iruka-sensei and Moegi… they-they… Konohamaru is not the same anymore, and when I talked to Gaara earlier, he still don't feel worthy of the Kazekage-title anymore. It's all because I couldn't help them. I failed them Baa-chan!"

"You didn't failed anyone, Naruto! The object of this war is to protect you and Bee. I have told you-"

"But I could help! Ever since the real Madara appeared you've kept me locked up in the village. It makes no sense since you know having me here puts everyone in danger. Who knows what will happen if they decide to come for me? What if they do the same thing Nagato and ravage the village just to reach me? Even the Raikage allows Bee-ojisan to fight because he knows the power is needed! Why won't you let me then?!"

"Naruto, I-"

"TELL ME WHY I CAN'T HELP MY FRIENDS, DAMN IT!"

'_BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO ALSO LOOSE YOU IN A WAR!_' She wished to scream to him, '_Because this selfish old woman doesn't want to loose another 'younger brother' because of Konoha or anything related to her! My heart wouldn't survive another blow like that!_' However, she would never say such thing to him. It wasn't because she thought it wouldn't make an impression, because she knew it would, but because she agreed with the general public that Naruto was too soft for his own good and needed to harden his heart to be able to survive out there. Tsunade would ensure that, but she wasn't sure this was the best moment to do so.

This war was the perfect situation to make Naruto face the fact that there was far too much evil in this world, and that some of this evil resided in those fighting at his side. That ninjas never had been the most moral people, and that many of them had some… distasteful habits during fights, and especially when it came to deal the killing blow, but she wished to shield the blonde from such perverseness. He still held some childish innocence inside him, some shard of that pureness that made him who he was, and that made him capable of relating to anyone and even befriending foes. However, Tsunade feared that if she exposed him to the full horror of this war, it would be forced mercilessly down on him, and he would become a full-fledged Shinobi… She didn't wish that for him, so she decided to give him a taste of that harshness herself in a safe environment.

"Remember who you're talking to, Shinobi." She said in a cold tone that immediately froze Naruto in his spot. "I am the Hokage of this village, and you are just another ninja under my command. Whether or not I choose to use you, a tool, is my decision and you have no say in that. You are simply to obey my orders, is that clear?!"

"Baa-chan…" Naruto spoke with a trembling voice, and in the corner of his eyes, tears had appeared. The sight pierced the woman's heart with guilt, but she kept going on - this was something Naruto needed.

"It's Hokage-sama to you, Shinobi. I have been too lenient with you for far too long due to your status, but it's time you learn your place in this village, genin Naruto Uzumaki"

"But baa… Hokage-sama" Naruto regained some of his composure and tried to reason with Tsunade, understanding that _this_ time he had made her really mad. "You know I can take care of myself - I was strong enough to defeat Pain after all and I can-"

"Stop this nonsense, Uzumaki. Have you told it so many times to yourself that you are starting to believe your own lies? You, Naruto Uzumaki, are weak. The only thing that makes you special is that the nine tailed fox sealed within you and that it's chakra is flowing through you veins. _That_ is what healed you. _That_ is what gives you all that chakra you possess. It's that demon that has allowed you to overcome all those difficulties and that helped out previously. It wasn't your strength, Naruto. Without the nine tailed fox, you would have died a long time ago. Without it you wouldn't have been anything." She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Then, before she knew it, she spoke without thinking, the words flowing on their own. As they escaped her lips, she knew that they would be the ones to hunt her forever.

"The fact that you've relied on that demon's chakra your whole life has made you weak. If Minato and Kushina could see you now… They would have been deeply ashamed of you."

Naruto's expression looked as if he had taken a kunai to the heart, only to have it twisted around inside of him. Tears fell silently from his eyes, and his body was trembling. Unable to even whimper, as his voice abandoned him, he took a few shaky steps backwards as if trying to escape from her, only to trip in his own feet and fall backwards onto the floor.

Tsunade looked down at the boy, but instead of helping him get up like she had done many times before, she turned her expression into a mocking one before finally landing the final blow.

"Clumsy even in your escape… You are still the same idiotic brat that came looking for me all those years ago. You are still someone that is unable to protect even himself without relying on the fox chakra… Pathetic."

Naruto flinched as her words hit him, and before Tsunade knew what happened, he buried his head between his knees, hugging his legs, and he started crying. Not silent crying, but crying as the boy Tsunade had just compared him to – a boy that was crying because he was frightened and didn't understand why the whole village hated him.

That's when Tsunade realized that she had gone too far.

"N-Naruto, I… I didn't…" The expression on Naruto's face as he looked up at her hit her as a stone. He looked just like him - as the brother she had loved so dearly. As he raised his head it was as if she saw her little brother's ghost in front of her, his eyes blaming her for his own death.

His eyes were dull and hollow… empty… devoid of the usual sparkle of happiness in them. It was like if he was trapped in a genjutsu but unaware of it; not struggling against its hold. And as he spoke, his voice… The best way she could describe it was dead… It was as if he had died in front of her, and what was now talking was just an empty shell, which had reanimated only to take Naruto's place.

"I understand, Hokage-sama. There is no need for you to apologize. You… You are totally right in your claims, and I will work hard to fix that flaw to your content" He drawled mechanically while getting back to his feet. Tears still fell from his eyes, but he seemed no longer to care about them, and simply wiped them off his face before walking through the door. Left sat Tsunade, alone, and without a word of goodbye.

_(Flashback end)_

* * *

The bottle of sake had emptied when her mind returned to the present time, unaware of when she had downed the last cup of it. She could still remember how she'd chased after Naruto immediately after the door had closed behind him. Time after time she had apologized while holding him close to her. It seemed to work, because the life seemed to return to his eyes and his mouth once again turned into a small smile. However, it seemed that she'd hit a sensitive nerve, because he had constantly referred to her as 'Hokage-sama' since then and until the moment she stepped down from her position. Even so, she could see it in his eyes that he would forever doubt her. That he would always wonder whether what she told him was the truth, or simply something she'd said out of kindness.

Tsunade sighed. She needed to clear her mind, and she only knew of one place that could do that for her. It was almost funny that it was the exact same place Kakashi had went to mourn for years, thinking that the one who caused the war they escaped from, the one that brought so much pain was dead and he would find solace watching his name for hours there

Without another word, she turned off the lights and walked out of the Hokage tower, heading in the direction of the memorial stone

When she arrived she was slightly surprised to find some of her fellow time travelers present as well. By the chakra signatures, she could sense the others approaching too, and soon everyone were once again gathered. The last one to arrive was Shikamaru, and as he joined them, they just stood there in silence, all of them thinking about their guilt.

"What the others think is best for him, my ass" she said a while later, making everyone turn to her with confused expressions. Their expressions turned into shocked ones as she took a piece of a porcelain mask out of one of her pockets and placed it on the top of the Memorial stone. She had waited far too long for anyone of them to act. However, as things looked now, it was way past time for them all to stop acting in the shadows and finally for what was truly the best for Naruto.

* * *

**(A/N): Well, first of all I must thank WinnifredArtemis in helping me with this mini chapter, since my other beta had to leave because she no longer had time to help, so everyone say thanks to Artemis :D**

**Then I must apologize for taking so much time in uploading something here, It's been a kindda busy week so only now I was able to upload this... expect chapter for this weekend nonetheless, I'm gonna do all I can to be on schedule this week**

**This is going to be something new I'm gonna add in some chapters now, it like a 'Musical recomendation' I'll make. It's going to be the song that inspired me to write the main part of the chapter, or that I enjoyed the most while writing it... this time it's going to be both , so first the one that inspired the chapter: Aqua from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep... I meant this chapter to be sad, dunno if I achieved it, because at the moment I was a bit down myself, and then I heard this one on the playlist and bam! idea up... I didn't knew where to put it (and personally I don't like adding songs on the Echoes of war, I feel that it breaks the image of seriousness I try to put on it) but if you want to play it while reading it, go ahead, it might be interesting**

**Then the one I enjoyed the most while writing it: Fade to Black from Metallica... I can't say much about it, just that it started to play, and then I pushed the repeat button and heard the same song until I finished writing and sent the capter for revision to WinnifredArtemis**

**Now... This is going to be something I'm going to do only once, answer a review here... not gonna happen again (unless it's a good question like this one) so dont expect it... 'does Naruto has dragon antibodies that prevent him from turning into a dragon? or is kurama preventing him from turning?' Well... neither of those... totally answering it would spoil the surprise so I can only say that if you are up to date with cannon Fairy Tail (manga I mean) and you pay atention to the first chapter you will find _half_ the answer... if you found the answer, please don't spoil it for others and wait to see how it developes**

**Next... For those out there that wish to know a bit more about Naruto and Lucy on Earthland (and I mean a REAL romantic interaction) check the oneshot I made for a Writer's challenge about the White day, it's really fluffy and diabetically sweet, so read it under your own decition, if you don't like that stuff then don't... Maybe I'll add the missfortunes of Naruto finding those gifts here as an Omake later**

**Finally (preety long Author note eh?) maybe some previous chapters are going to undergo a revision and improvement under the eyes of WinnifredArtemis if she has spare time to do so (hope she does) so go check tue author notes on them from time to time, I'll put there an update note if that happens... well, nothing more comes to my mind right now, so I'll leave for now, Enjoy this little piece of sadness and angst before balancing it with fluffyness and sweetness with the oneshot, and review, favorite and follow if you like OUR humble work. See ya' :D **


	10. Finding home away from home

**(A/N): Well, it's been two weeks so far, sorry for the delay, but sadly on this side of the planet summer time is over, so before I had to return to classes and my life went down the toilet again, along with most of my free time, I wished to spend some time away from everything and enjoy what is possibly going to be my last free days in a looooooooong time.**

**That means I'll (sadly) spend less time in the fic, but that doesn't mean that I'll abandon it, it just means that there will be more time between cahpters, nothing else... hope you can understand that.**

**On happier grounds, this fic has reached the 100 followers, and favorites are not behind at 86... that makes me feel proud of myself and pushes me to keep this going, thanks to everybody out there that gives this fic a chance (snif). Okay, enough with the drama, time to keep the show going on.**

**There are some... things that need to be told about this and some previous chapters, so I'll let Jarvis do the talking while I take a nap. Jarvis?**

**"Fine, fine, first of all check again the first and fourth chapters, they have been edited so maybe now they are easier to read, up to you to say that, segaku is currently working on the others, so expect some changes (for good we hope) in the whole fic maybe soon." **

**"Then there's something regarding the 'Echoes of war' mini-chapters, I'll say it now so later there won't be confussion, the general date they are placed (if you haven't noticed, all the characters have their flashbacks and the meeting in the memorial stone the same night) is in a future point of the fic, and the fic itself will catch up with them in time, ending the 'Echoes of war' in the chapter (yeah, chapter, not mini-chapter) 'Echoes of war - Naruto Uzumaki', just so you know and don't get confused if some things in the future mini-chapters haven't happened yet in the main fic."**

**"Finally, if any of you disagree with the author's point of view regarding Naruto's childhood here, it's only that, his point of view, it doesn't mean that he's trying to tell you that's true, just what he thinks about it."**

**Well, that being all from him, I hope you enjoy this chapter, so far this one is the one I feel more proud of, and I hope from now on I improve the quality of the chaps. Oh, really, before I forget, I'm going to re-post the one-shot I made about Lucy and Naruto inside the fic, because I know many of you out there reading this are too lazy to go to my profile page and look for it, and it will give a better view of how each blonde treat each other, besides there are some corrections I would like to do, so maybe tomorrow or the next day it will be up here, so others can enjoy it too.**

**Well, now that all, so Favorite and Follow if you find this story worth of it, and review, please, it keeps the spirits high and the creativity running (seriously, I'm in a kind of writer's block with the next chap) so with nothing more to say... ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**Disclaimer: Ya' know the drill, too lazy to write it**

**P.D. Kudos for those who recognize the mention of a character from another fic here (hint: 'It's a scythe'), and the character mentioned in the last (really the last one) sentence of this chapter, but please don't hate me for the cliffie ok? (evil laughter)**

* * *

_"You have to be strong. Strength of heart will carry you through the hardest of trials"_

_Terra, Kingdom hearts Birth by Sleep_

* * *

Chapter 8: Finding home away from home

Tsunade was doing her best trying to keep the urge to reduce the two beings in front of her to less than bloody pulps. In her mind, she kept imagining beating them to a state were they would be only an inch left of their lives, and then to heal them only repeat the process again and again until her thirst of righteous fury was sated.

"Look, you old pervert. I only agreed to explain this mess to you because you promised that you wouldn't act out like a headless chicken. Well, right now you're not doing a good job keeping your end of the deal."

Her right eye twitched as she once again tried to calm herself by thinking of new creative ways to maim them to her heart content.

"You're _reaaaaally_ pushing me into going full size and rampaging the village again, just to make you talk about something else."

Yeah, a couple hundred times of that stress-relieve-exercise would do wonders to calm down her nerves. She didn't know a lot about animal biology, but she could learn trying and failing… Besides, the willing fox in front of her was practically screaming to be taken as a test subject, so who was she to deny both him and herself the chance?

"But how you expect me not to! Time travel?! At first I thought you were toying with me, but when Tsunade-hime confirmed your claims… Damn! Just damn!"

And he had to start pacing back and forth in the room, adding more tension onto her already hard-as-rock shoulders. She doubted that _even_ one of Lee's kicks would reduce the stiffness in them at this point.

"I had a bad enough headache from _trying_ to digest the idea of you being from a war-torn future- one I didn't see because I was murdered by Nagato of all people; where _the_ Madara Uchiha was resurrected by that that twisted jutsu Orochimaru used to kill sensei, and then you throw in all that dimension travel thing you and Naruto went through… Don't make me start with the fact that half of the brats I know are also in this mess."

"Please, do NOT start with that. _My_ growing headache would thank you the consideration."

No… Now she changed her mind. Damn that butterfly effect, and every other law out there, that advised against it. After beating both of them as many times as she deemed necessary to compensate for this, she would use her medical knowledge to put them under such a torture that even Orochi-fucking-maru, the 'I-create-monstrosities-out-of-humans-and-want-to-posses-the-body-of-a-boy-I-gave-an-evil-hickey-to-because-I'm-a-mad-scientist-with-a-complex-nobody-has-yet-fully-understood-in-the-whole-multiverse' guy, would take pity of them.

Oh, there was also the sudden urge she felt of also maiming a certain blonde teenager for unknown reasons. However, a gut feeling, that she had learned to trust, told her that it was because he would do - or had already done, something that was going to make her already miserable enough life as Hokage even _more_ miserable.

Well, at least she had those two idiots in front of her right now, That and the ability (and reasons) to use them as punching bags to vent out some steam before addressing the headache Naruto was sure bring with him.

* * *

Now, you must be wondering why Vodka knockers… ehemm, sorry, the old hag known as Tsunade is at the verge of making the toad sage and the once most powerful Bijuu in the elemental nations meet their respective creators. Well… It's kindda a long story I'm too lazy to detail to you, so I'll try to make a small summary of what has happened during Naruto's absence.

Jiraya decided to face the fox after Loke took Naruto to the celestial world, because after the boy's little speech in front of the council he was so guilt driven that the idea of making the fox declare that everything he made Naruto believe was just a lie got inside his head, and then his true memories would resurface giving everyone a happy ending.

Remember that at that moment he was still oblivious of the time-dimension travel Naruto and Kurama went through.

Sadly for the fox, when the toad sage found him (still eating breakfast on Naruto's apartment) the myriad of questions and demands for answers didn't stopped until he, annoyed to his limits, relented to the persistent pervert and spilled everything .

At first Jiraya dismissed it at lies, since (at least for him) 'the idea of all that crap is simply ridiculous' quoting his words. Great was his surprise when the beyond pissed fox grabbed his clothes and took him to Tsunade's office flying.

It became even greater when, even before Tsunade voiced her surprise and annoyance for their way of barging inside her office, Kurama explained the situation and she, instead of just dismissing the fox, glared him for some seconds before she sighed tiredly and crossed her fingers under her chin.

That moment Jiraya knew a long and tiring explanation was about to start.

As Tsunade repeated practically word by word what the fox said, the toad sage tried hard to convince himself that all this was an elaborated prank, something Tsunade came out to get him back for all the times he did something perverted around her.

He knew Tsunade didn't have such twisted sense of humor and that all this was most likely true, but it was easier to be on denial.

Ever since Tsunade finished her explanation the pervert couldn't stop himself of ranting nonstop about the impossible odds of such thing happening, and why he was left out of such a unique opportunity of making things better for the future.

And I've just realized I've pretty much detailed you everything I said I wouldn't, right? Huh… Whatever, back to the plot and the murderous old hag.

* * *

"Jiraya, shut up or I swear I'm going to send you straight to Oonoki's office with a single punch, and you know I can actually make that happen if I put enough effort into it, logic and physics be damned."

The pervert wisely shut up hearing his old teammate threat, totally aware that she was not bluffing and that what little patience she had left was about to be thrown out of the window along with him and probably the fox too.

"Thank you Tsunade, you have just saved your village from a second Bijuu-based mass destruction event without the need of sacrificing yourself to seal me again into another newborn."

The gratitude and relief imprinted on the fox's words made Tsunade realize that he _actually_ was considering the idea just to shut Jiraya up. That was scary and amusing at the same time, and proved her theory that the pervert and Naruto got along so well the first time around because both were much alike.

Both were loud, obnoxious and frustratingly idiotic when they wished to (Naruto specially, even if it toned down after he returned from his training travel), and now it seemed both could annoy the shit out of anyone when they put effort on it (not that it was a good thing).

"The threat also applies for you fox, there's a reason we left everybody else out of this clusterfunk. Now he will try to go out there and change things by himself and screw all we have achieved so far."

"I'm sure you wouldn't let him do such thing."

"I said he would try" she said cracking her knuckles, making Jiraya gulp "Of course I would not let him do that, but that doesn't mean it won't be a pain in the ass."

The offended look Jiraya gave her went unnoticed, or she simply didn't cared about it.

"The pervert was guilt driven, aware that I knew far more than what I let everyone else know, and determined to get an answer to ease his guilt." Kurama deadpanned to Tsunade, who winced sympathetically at that peculiar mindset she could imagine guiding Jiraya's actions.

Personally her answer would have been a punch aimed to leave him unconscious, and if not, make her point clear.

"I only 'interacted' with him when I was still sealed within the kit, those 3 years he took him out of the village on that training mission" Kurama continued "And that time was enough to learn that once something got inside his mind, the sky mother help his target, or him, depending on the situation."

Oh, she knew very well the lengths the toad sage would reach when something caught his interest. He almost died two times for that after all, once on her hands and another on Naruto's, and like the third's the charm… well, she knew very well why he never returned from Ame.

Despite feeling offended by the way he was being addressed, but ignored at the same time, a small smile wormed it's way to Jiraya's face once he heard the fox.

"So I actually managed to get the gaki out of the village and make him my apprentice then? At least I did something right regarding his growth."

"You are giving yourself too much credit for that Jiraya" Kurama stated in a dead-serious tone, all mirth and arrogance gone from his voice.

* * *

During the time he spent rising Naruto and Natsu along with Igneel his fondness for the blonde haired child grew, and promising himself to correct whatever went wrong with him the first time he took the time to re-evaluate the way he grew up in the Elemental Nations.

He ended with the realization that the boy's mind was even more fucked up than he feared it was.

Even if all he went through somehow worked for the best in the end, the mindset he developed during his first childhood was an unhealthy one. A mindset nobody cared to correct since it benefitted them in the end, or at least until he finally snapped during the war; and even then all it took for him to return to Konoha was a group of people he still considered 'true' friends pleading him to do so.

Due to the loneliness Naruto grew in he strived for recognition and love his whole childhood, things that he got from a kind Ramen chef, his daughter and the grandfatherly image of the Sandaime Hokage.

Unlike the public image of an idiot he made for himself, Naruto was far from the incompetent brat most of the village took him for (Ninjas knew better that entirely trusting first sights), and unknown, even for himself, he excelled in character judgment and possessed a keen eye for details most people would miss… skills he sadly was forced to acquire thanks to the harsh treatment and usual beatings he had to endure constantly.

These skills were usually overlooked due to his poor social skills and his blunt interaction with others, caused by his practically nonexistent formal education (the few things he knew were self-taught, and not always accurate) and thanks to this underestimation those few people that were kind to him not always cared to hide some subtle reactions that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

Naruto did notice them, and how he wished he didn't.

The kindness the old Ramen chef treated him with was genuine, he was sure of that, and unlike other places he went before, the food he was given there wasn't spoiled or overcharged…

But he also noticed that the business wasn't going very well for the man since he started eating there, and would sometimes catch the accusing glances directed to him every time a potential customer decided to go somewhere else just because he was there .

The Sandaime tried to look after him, treating him to ramen (and even opening a tab for him to his name) every time he could, giving him his own apartment and even visiting him occasionally; but he also noticed the small, subtle and almost unnoticeable hints that there was something under all that kindness, some hidden reason to be like that with him.

And there were the times he questioned him about the reason the whole village hated him so much, or where were his mommy and daddy, but the old man would dismiss it with another question or simply deny knowledge about the topic, but Naruto knew better than believing it.

He knew that even if they were kind to him they didn't were fully hearted on it… but he never dared to confront them about that. For nearly 6 years he was alone and with nobody who would even smile to him without trying to hurt him later, so he didn't cared their reasons to be kind to him as long as they protected him and kept filling that empty hole in his heart.

As he grew up that mindset grew stronger in his mind. As long as someone gave him something resembling friendship, or at least recognition, he would put said person on a pedestal and do whatever was needed to protect that 'friendship' from disappearing, even if it meant enduring not so friendly treatments from time to time as was proved with Sakura and Sasuke, being the second one the perfect embodiment of such fanaticism for the few friends he had.

The only ones who could be considered true friends during his childhood were Konohamaru, Inari, Koyuki, Hikaru and Gaara. Only they knew and related to the boy under the happy mask, and grew fond of him for who he was, not the value he could offer to them.

After he returned from his travel with Jiraya he grew over it a bit. He was no longer so trusting of others and now he did pointed out things that would bother him from others, but after practically 14 years with one mindset guiding his every action his perception of friendship was far too damaged to be fixed again.

That's why he never thought bad of Jiraya despite knowing well that the pervert slacked most of their training trip, feeling comfortable with enforcing the basics and being taught how to better use Kurama's chakra.

That's why in the end he totally forgave Chiyo after she gave her life to bring Gaara back from death, and never felt an ounce of resentment against the old woman despite she being the responsible of one of his true friends hellish childhood, even if said friend did resented her a bit after all.

That's why he forgave Nagato and Itachi after all the suffering they, directly _and_ indirectly, caused him because he could relate to them and see a possible outcome for his life had he not found the 'love' of his precious people on his early life.

That's why he could forgive everyone who ever held secrets from him, even if he had absolute right to know them; to forgive his father for making his life a living hell, fully aware that it would happen but doing it anyway because of blind faith on his village and a prophesy.

That was the reason of his fanaticism in the will of fire and Konoha… And why he became distant and closed to those he once called friends, those he threw away his life for since he met them, only for them to betray his trust in the end.

The idea of friendship he grew up with was of a one-way relation, where he would receive the recognition and love he so much needed, but in exchange he would give everything, even his soul if necessary, to keep that link intact, never questioning in fear that said link would break.

It is true that in the end it was what made him the idealist who pursued peace and good for everyone, but that was clearly not the right way to grow up.

Kurama knew this thanks to the link Minato included in the seal that allowed him to see and feel what Naruto did, and even if at the time he was too filled with hate and anger to pay attention to the life Naruto had because of him, now he thanked the Yondaime for it, and the use he could give to that information.

He spoke about all this with Igneel (the dragon was an old being, he knew better than not noticing that Kurama and Naruto were not originally from Earthland, but as long as they meant no harm he had nothing against them) and both decided to teach Naruto the true meaning of friendship this time, the mutual link friends shared helping each other pointing the defects each other had to make them improve and be better people, or beings in Kurama's case.

Teach him that feelings like anger, bitterness and even hate towards each other were something natural, and even healthy, only if they talked about it later and cleared their problems instead of bottling them inside and pretend everything is fine.

This time Naruto did grew up with the right mindset, retaining his old idealism (with a healthy dose of realism, Kurama made sure of that) and his loyalty for those who really earned his trust and right to be called friends.

* * *

_(Play song: Ventus – Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Original Soundtrack)_

"You did took him out of the village to show him the true life beyond the village's walls, I won't deny it, but what you taught him would hardly qualify as something you would teach an apprentice… At least given all the time you had."

Kurama stated factually, totally meaning to make his point clear. For many years he wished to tell everyone who made Naruto's life harder, having the chance to improve it, a few things for doing a shitty job keeping Minato's last wish.

"What do you mean? If I took him then I must have taught him the good stuff right? He is Minato's son after all. I would not forgive myself if I, at least, didn't passed down on him the Fuuinjutsu legacy of his parents… Maybe together find out a way to replicate the Hiraishin, or-"

"You are saying that right now only because you are desperate to convince yourself that you weren't a total failure. The kit did achieved great feats despite his young age… He finished his father's jutsu infusing it with wind chakra, creating his own S-rank one-hit killing jutsu. Mastered the sage arts surpassing even you, reaching the perfect balance between Senjutsu and his own chakra without needing the assistance of the elders like you."

At this moment Kurama's face took a melancholic visage, and his lips curved upwards a bit giving the appearance of a serene smile.

"He defeated me, gaining control over my chakra… and sometime later he taught this old and once full of hate fox that trusting someone else besides oneself wasn't a sign of weakness, and that it can even make you stronger."

The smile disappeared and his face turned serious again when he faced Jiraya, and finally said what he had been storing for him all these years… it was going to be mean and cruel, and even if he no longer hated him, or anyone, he couldn't help but feel that this was the fair thing to do.

"But you never had a hand on that happening."

"What? No… no,no,no,no,NO! I refuse to believe that even with his son under my wing I failed Minato, you… you must be lying fox, all you said must be a lie you created to get some kind of revenge for sealing you in Naruto, yeah, that must be because I-" He was cut off by Kurama's loud snort.

"Right now I would be kissing Minato and Kushina for sealing me into their son if they weren't dead and I hadn't some resemblance to my old pride in the way. Deny it as much as you want, but it won't change the fact that it happened once, and would have happened a second time."

Jiraya was about to retort but was stopped by Tsunade, who during their argument stood up from her desk and walked towards him, and now was next to him with a hand on his shoulder, smiling sadly.

"Stop denying it Jiraya, deep inside you know the fox is right… Naruto matured during his time with you, learned about what entails to be a ninja and grew in more than one aspect, but…"

Here she had to breath and think carefully what to say, Jiraya was beaten enough with what the fox said, this would only further depress him, but it was needed.

"You didn't bothered to train him properly. During you time with him you only reinforced his basics, corrected some of his Taijutsu flaws, tinkered a bit with the Rasengan and taught him how to better use Kyuubi's ch-"

"Kurama" the fox corrected her "Call me by my name please, Kyuubi was a title among my siblings, but I have long ago given up that life… I try to be different this time"

That small confession caught both off guard, but Tsunade still had something to say to Jiraya, so she continued as if the fox didn't spoke

"Fine, returning to my previous point, you didn't did much regarding Naruto's actual training despite knowing Akatsuki was trailing him. You usually, quoting Naruto's words, 'Ditched him on a random town for days to go peeping or to check on your spy network, meaning that you were on a bar, a brothel or some kind of dirty hole on another town, leaving only chakra control exercises, some Taijutsu stances, accuracy tips or stuff like that for him to practice alone'."

Tsunade saw how much those words hurt her old teammate's heart, and remembered what he told her once when she also reclaimed him for not further training him. It was an excuse even if it had some truth, both knew it, but right now it maybe would help him.

"Once you told me that you didn't wished to make another Minato out of him, because you were afraid of also losing him to the village… You were confident on his potential to grow on his own and forge his own path. You even promised him to start his Fuuinjutsu training once you returned from Ame because you deemed him ready, but… "

Jiraya slumped defeated on a chair in the office, he knew very well he could have done that, he had done the same thing when he first taught him summoning and the Rasengan before he disappeared, but there was something bugging him about that.

"Then why he didn't insisted about learning something else, or demanded his father's research once he returned?… I mean, he could have matured but still, knowing his father was a legend would have made him exited about learning something about him, right?"

The irritated look Kurama gave him and the way Tsunade looked to a side was enough answer for him, and it made him feel like the lowest piece of crap the world had ever produced… Had he failed in such way to Minato?

"Naruto never knew about his parentage until he met them personally due to fail-safes the seal had with some of their chakras stored in them, and once he learned about them all he could have inherited from them was destroyed, along with the whole village, when your dear student decided to visit us after killing you, so no, he could not learn anything from them thanks to your petty fears. Naruto made that point clear already so I won't dwell on that."

For some minutes nobody said anything, mostly to let Jiraya think about what he was just told, but Tsunade felt that there was still something needed to be said.

"You have learned about mistakes you haven't done yet. The situation has clearly changed now, and for good or bad this Naruto is not the same either of us remember… now I must ask you, are you ready to do what is right for him instead of what is easier for you or what others expect you to do?"

Jiraya just nodded, currently too depressed to even speak.

"Fine, then you _do_ realize that the best thing for him now is to return to that other world called Earthland, right?"

Jiraya's eyes widened the instant the question finished and he stood up, ready to say something against even considering the idea, but before any sound escaped his mouth he closed it and thought about it for a moment, before sighing defeated and slumping again on the chair while nodding tiredly.

Tsunade once again put a hand on his shoulder and spoke on a soft tone trying to sooth her old teammate and his troubled mind.

"We all share guilt here Jiraya, you died before the shit hit the fan and all went downhill. What you did is nothing compared to what we did. All the 7 of us who managed to make it back in time did terrible things to Naruto, pushed him to his limits until he snapped Jiraya, _he snapped_, and became a missing nin to leave the village and face Madara alone."

Her voice cracked remembering the conclusion they reached in the end for why Naruto did that.

"He… He wished to die Jiraya, he knew very well that he held no chance against that monster alone but decided to do so nonetheless. Only when a group conformed of Konohamaru, Gaara, Chouji, Ino, Shizune and, ironic enough, Sasuke went to retrieve him he returned, but things weren't the same anymore… Even if he acted as cheerfully and happy as we were used to, anyone could catch the bitterness under the act and the distance he put between himself and us."

Now she needed to breathe deeply to calm the storm of emotions building inside her caused by the memories, and also cleaned the tears that were starting to gather on the corner of her eyes. She breathed once again to calm her trembling voice before speaking again.

"We all wronged him in some way, but now I want to make amends with him by doing the right thing, not what others think is good for him. He had enough of that crap before, besides it's… it's the least we can do for him Jiraya, as his godparents."

This time Jiraya was the one who breathed deeply, and then he stood up facing Tsunade with a fire on his eyes she thought he lost the day Orochimaru, the one he considered his best friend, was found with evidence of actions against the village and escaped, becoming a missing nin and betraying their sensei's and Jiraya's trust.

Right now Jiraya had a goal in mind, one he would accomplish no matter the cost, and totally confident in himself to do so.

"You are right Tsunade-hime, enough with the whining and the what if's, it's time to finally do something right for him, fuck what others think about it. This time what we do, we do for his sake, he… he deserves it."

Kurama smiled widely hearing this, and floating next to him he patted his shoulder in a friendly way.

"I knew you weren't a lost cause Jiraya, you do care for the kit after all" and then the comical arrogance returned to his voice "Now I guess it's time for planning, and personally I'm not a big fan of Naruto regaining his old memories, so… Time to get our paws dirty?"

Tsunade and Jiraya chuckled at the joke try, not because it was funny… Actually it was a bit bizarre if what he meant was what they were imagining. The funny thing was that the _Kyuubi no kitsune_ was the one doing it, clearly on friendly terms with people he would have ripped to shreds on past times.

If they weren't so mentally exhausted from the previous exchange, they would be searching for a genjutsu placed upon them.

"I agree with him, after all you told me I prefer him oblivious to everything related to his previous life" Jiraya said "After all, what he learned once, he can even improve given a second chance."

"And as usual I'm already two steps ahead of you, and with a plan waiting to be evaluated. Want to hear it?"

At their nod Tsunade started explaining the sketch of a plan she had so far regarding Naruto's future training until she managed to convince the others that the time to give their special reverse summoning a try had arrived.

_(End song)_

* * *

Despite the common belief that blonde girls were air-headed and not really bright, Lucy had proved more than once that it was not a general rule (much to her dismay she had met blondes that really fit the description) and praised herself for having a flexible mind that allowed her to accept the many wonders mages could do without much surprise.

There were far too many magics out there she was unaware of that she preferred to be always ready for the unexpected.

That said, right now her capacity of assimilating the explanation Loke and Naruto had given her was between the one of a brick and a sponge.

"So, let me see if I get this right this time. Someone on another world, a ninja one, replicated something similar to an Anima and used it to pull you and Kurama" she said pointing to Naruto " From Earthland into his or her world?"

Naruto nodded excitedly, his grin never leaving his face while sitting cross-legged in the floor in front of her, and with every spirit present (the king included) around them.

"And while you were there, everyone who was in the island got trapped in a 'dimensional rift'?"

"Time-space breach" Loke corrected her

"Yeah, that thing, the moment Acnologia decided to blow us all to kingdom come, saving us but also trapping us inside it against our will at the same time?" Naruto nodded once again.

She had explained them all that happened in the island since the first test of the trial until Acnologia's last attack, and surprisingly Naruto handed it better that Loke, stating that 'He was not going to judge a gifted horse since it saved everyone's life, and since they could take everyone out of that breach safely there was no reason to be mad'.

She was not sure if she should feel happy that her best friend was acting in such mature way, or afraid that what he could be repressing right now would return later and put them in some kind of problem.

She also had the gut feeling that Loke already explained him some of this, and he had enough time to vent off any anger and/or frustration, but secretly she hoped that he was simply too happy to see her safe to care about anything else.

"Then you discovered" she continued directing to Loke "That Naruto could open that thing that took him to that other world at will, but in a smaller version and that he needed help, and used it to bring me here because with my help along with Kurama and the spirits I can summon we can bring here the rest of the people, and then find a way to return to Earthland together, right?"

Once again Naruto nodded and Lucy sighed, it seemed that she finally got around the idea, but now there was a question bugging her.

"Look, everything is fine with this, nothing that we haven't faced before, but wouldn't have been a better idea to first find a way to return to Earthland and then get us out of that breach there? Not that I'm unhappy that you are helping us, but it was really uncomfortable to be around another me while we were on Edolas and I don't know how things could go here."

"I must admit that the first time I heard this plan I had similar thoughts" Loke said "But there are some facts that explain why this is a better route. We found that we can't reverse what brought Naruto to this new world, that alone adds some more time to the undefined amount of time that finding a way back to Earthland could take us."

Whatever Lucy was about to say was silenced by Loke rising his hand.

"Wait please, I haven't finished" Lucy huffed, but nodded in the end "Even if that is one reason, the one that seemed even more important was that there is a noticeable difference in the time span between this two worlds. Of how much time I don't know, but there was a great chance that if we didn't did this you could have been trapped for even more time than we spent looking for a way back, I'm sure you can see the problem there."

Lucy nodded, she didn't knew that small bit of information and she caught what Loke was saying there. _'It could have taken us a couple of months, it could have been almost a year for you'._

"Regarding your worry about meeting your counterpart, it seems that in this world is Naruto the only one that has one, unlike Edolas, were he was one of the few that didn't had one. So as far as I know, there shouldn't be another Lucy."

She breathed relieved at that. Edo-Lucy was like having an extra Erza, she wasn't thrilled by the idea of finding out that in this world she could have been even worse, or god forbid it, be like the normal Juvia. Just thinking about the probabilities sent shivers down her spine.

"Well, seeing that explanations are finished for now you should return to that other world, old friends, Leo will tell you there what you need to know about when it would be a good idea to bring the rest of your friends. Until then I bid you farewell."

"Thanks for the help and info Loke's boss" Naruto said smiling widely and waving goodbye to the Spirit King.

"Good bye moustache guy, thanks for helping Naruto" Lucy said also smiling, and then light flashed on the platform.

When the light died down Naruto, Lucy and Loke were gone, leaving behind a chuckling Spirit King.

* * *

The small group reappeared inside the Hokage's office, but the sight that greeted them was not exactly one they would have expected, especially Lucy since she had not even the slightest idea of who those guys were, besides Kurama of course.

The floor was littered with splinters of wood, specially the area around an unconscious white haired man with a large bump on his head, but he seemed accomplished if the blissful smile on his face was any indicator (She had dealt with oddly dressed people before, master Bob being on top of the list, so the eccentric appearance of the man didn't bothered her… much).

Standing next to him was a woman, on her late twenties or early thirties by her looks. Her annoyance towards the unconscious man clear on her face by the scowl and glare, but the way she dusted her hands against her clothes like she just touched something not meant to, made her guess that she was responsible for the man's unconsciousness.

There was also Kurama, who was keeping himself as close to the roof as possible, flying on a far away spot of the before mentioned woman, keeping himself away from harm's way desperately by the way he kept pushing himself against the ceiling like trying to fuse with it. Then he spotted them and faster than her eye could catch he moved next to Naruto, had she not known better she would have said he teleported.

"Protect me from the mean old lady" The fox said on an unusually frightened voice, she could even dare to say he was whimpering.

"She's mean, she's mean, she's mean…" He kept repeating like a mantra from Naruto's head, his widened and scared eyes focused on a random spot on the room, just like if he was reliving a nightmare.

"I know this question will sound weird coming from me" Naruto said to the woman, who only seemed to notice them at that moment, despite the 'flashy entrance' she was sure accompanied them "But do I want to know what happened here?"

The woman seemed to inspect them for a moment, before resting her sight on her and narrowing her eyes like inspecting her, and after some uneasy seconds she finally spoke.

"An advice girl, if you ever feel something for a pervert besides disgust, never let him know it before making sure he won't try something… _funny_. It can lead to some… unpleasant situations."

Lucy awkwardly nodded not knowing what else to do. She understood clearly what she meant, but could not find out _why_ she told her that, so she turned to a more… known source of information, even if currently not the most stable one. "Kurama, can you explain this?"

The fox woke up from his trance and turned to her, but his hunted look spoke volumes of how scarred he was.

"We were talking, but at some point they got fluffy and he… he _touched_ them…" and now he started shivering "The punch came too fast, I should not have escaped from it, but then they saved us… I don't know where he took them out from, but the logs, they… they saved us" And then he turned his head to where the unconscious man was surrounded by shards of shattered wood.

"He… he was too slow to avoid the second swing while I got away, but it was far weaker than the first one… the logs… those poor logs… that could have been me, that could have been me…" And he returned to his traumatic-experience-induced trance, now rocking back and forth on Naruto's head.

"He begged for it, the fox was just caught in the crossfire" she replied with a shrug before finally addressing the group properly "So you finally decided to return huh? You were gone for practically half a day."

"Half a day? But we were barely an hour on the Celestial world, maybe even less."

"She's right Naruto, time passes in a different span in the celestial world… and now this further proves the fact that there's a huge time difference between here and Earthland. That could have been easily be triple the amount of time there."

"So, you mean that the nearly three weeks I've spent here…" Naruto trailed off.

"… Could easily be two months, or even more back at home." Kurama finished his friend's idea getting over his daze hearing that tidbit of information.

Lucy was also shocked by those news, the true weight of the problem she was in (and the rest of the guild guys were still in) fell upon her, and realized the need to bring them fast out of there before even more time passes.

There was also the realization that, even if out of the breach, they would still be stuck in this world… By what Loke said months could pass before they find a way back to Earthland, and with this new information those months could transform into years back at home.

Naruto would beat himself for doing that to his brother and friends, forcing them to be far from home for god knows how much time, clearly not noticing that he was actually doing far more for them than just taking them out of the breach.

"Naruto, don't worry. That only means that we will need to bring the others as fast as we can, and then with their help we will figure something out really fast… It's not your fault, and maybe… maybe this is even something good if seen from another perspective."

Everyone on the room turned to her with eyes full of curiosity, she could swear that the head of the unconscious man in the floor slightly turned in her direction. That made her feel a bit nervous, but she needed to tell Naruto her thoughts.

Otherwise the blonde would bug them with his regrets until someone made him notice he was not the one responsible in a more… forceful way. It usually involved Erza and a lot of swords.

"If you haven't been brought here, you might not have found a way to pull us out of that breach so fast, and maybe it would have taken the years Loke said for us to get out. This way it may take us only months, maybe even less to return… imagine the disadvantage we would have been against other guilds otherwise. This way we might even get stronger here while we wait."

Then she put both her hands on his shoulders, making him blush a bit.

"You are really helping us Naruto, so don't worry about it."

Naruto was about to thank her for the words, he really needed them, but Loke spoke before him denying him the chance.

"Of course Lucy would notice that detail before us, It's only fitting of her intelligence" He said pushing his glasses upwards with a finger and nodding sagely, like stating a fact "That is one of the reasons she's my true love and-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a punch from said blonde girl, with enough strength to knock him out and send him back to the Celestial world.

Spending too much time around Natsu, Naruto, Happy and Kurama on a daily basis tended to do _'wonders'_ with her patience regarding certain topics.

One of said topics was Loke and his open love declarations for her.

"Lucy?" the older blonde woman asked to Naruto "As the Lucy you've been talking about all this time? That Lucy?"

"Yup! Exactly that one!" Naruto chirped with a big and bright smile, totally missing her face paling and turning to the now sheepish looking Lucy.

"And there's even more good news!"

Once again he totally missed the fox on his head whimper in fear and search the safety of the roof again, or Lucy start to chuckle nervously and move slowly behind Naruto, like using him as a meat shield.

Oh, and he totally missed the supposedly unconscious man crawl slowly to the door, in an attempt to escape from ground zero when Tsunade's face turned to an interesting shade of purple from the restrained frustration, rage, desperation, helplessness and so many other things as the blonde teenager happily elaborated the decision of bringing the rest of his crazy gang to Konoha, without previously asking her for permission.

Once Jiraya was safely out of the room he rapidly stood from the floor, and did a mad dash to anywhere far enough of his old teammate while mentally going through a countdown.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1…"

* * *

Far away from Konoha on Earth country, on Iwagakure to be accurate, Oonoki of the twin scales, current Tsuchikage of the village, was sitting on his office going through the latest reports he had received from the services of a mercenary group called 'Akatsuki' he had been working with for some time now.

Currently going through an espionage report of Konoha, he was carefully reading some interesting news about the sudden reappearance of their Jinchuuriki a couple of weeks ago, and some intriguing notes about a possible special training the brat could have undergo during his absence.

It was then when he heard it.

"WHYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEEE!" A helpless cry of desperation could be clearly heard in the distance. The voice was one he recognized immediately, and it brought a satisfied smile to his wrinkled face.

"Whatever calamity will fall - or has already fallen, upon those tree-huggers, they deserve it." He said with humor as he returned to the report, enjoying the many other screams that echoed in the distance, and feeling that for once after much, much time in his life, everything was right in the world.

* * *

Curiously enough, a pale skinned 'immortal' mad scientist had similar thoughts as he heard the screams of desperation from his old teammate, and a genuine bark of laugh escaped his mouth, sending shivers down the spines of whoever was close enough to that room of the current hideout (Kabuto included).

Once his moment of amusement was over, the yellow snake-like eyes of the 'man' returned to the current page from the report of his new… Associate, finding amusingly interesting the results of his research.

"Kukukuku, a perfect body… and what is this? A chimera jutsu? Indeed interesting findings Hiruko-kun. I'm sure we both will benefit from this… research exchange."


	11. The perfection of simplicity

**(A/N): Here we go, consider this on a bonus chapter for my two week vacation, and some kind of 'sorry' token for the surely from now on longer time between chapters, so for every fluffy stuff out there, here we go with some NaruLu I came up for a writter's challenge some time ago, not many people took the time to check it out so I'm adding it here, with some corrections, so you can have a more accutare idea of how Naruto and Lucy's relation was before the elemental nations.  
**

**Thanks for the reviews prev. chapter, those motivates me to keep working on this (we are close to 40, can we reach 50 for the next chapter? already surpassed the 10k hit mark :D)**

**Well, for this one (I forgot to do this for the previous chapter, gotta correct that soon) the song that really inspired me... you'll see while you read. As for the song I enjoyed the most while writting it, it is: Shy - Sonata Arctica (Succesor). It actually inspired this chapter a bit, so I hope you hear it, and the lyrics (If you haven't noticed yet, regarding songs with lyrics I really pay atention to the lyrics, not only the rhythm)**

**Do I add an Omake about Naruto's (and later Natsu's) misadventures while looking for the gifts on later chapters? I'll (try) to make a poll for that on my profile, don't really know how to work with that so it may take some days for it to come out, check my profile to see if it is up if you wish (or not) to know about that ok? Also, if I have enough time I'll re-upload the second chapter with some improvements, so also look out for that :D **

**Well, that's mostly all for now, hope you enjoy this fluff moment between both blondes (I suggest looking out for 'the white day' in wikipedia, it can clear some doubts for the ones out there that don't know about it) and comment if I made a good work with this fluff stuff (not really used to it) and... ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**Disclaimer: Really? do I need to keep doing this?**

**P.D. Don't know you, but I'm really proud of this.**

* * *

_"No Sora. What really counts - what's really special - is the act of giving the gift. To wish deep in your heart to make someone else happy"_

_Sally, Kingdom hearts 2_

* * *

Bonus chapter: The perfection of simplicity

Lucy certainly didn't expected this the moment Naruto said he had something to give to her. Actually she didn't expected a return gift at all from her blonde best friend.

When she and Lissana decided to prepare some chocolate for them on Valentine's day, it was mainly because Mira had asked them some help preparing some of her own to sell on the guild's new shop, and like the date was perfect for it they decided it would be a nice gesture from them.

The fact that she actually feels something else for her blonde friend, and that Lissana has similar feelings for his pink haired older (for only a year) brother wasn't a reason at all, just a happy coincidence, nothing else.

The previous day Lissana and she decided to play a prank on them as some kind of revenge from the ones Naruto and Natsu had played to them before… she still remembered the three weeks she had to endure having her hair died pink and whisker marks painted on her cheeks.

According to Lissana, she went through something similar once, but Kurama also decided to add his five cents in the form of a furry tail glued to most of her pants and skirts.

They decided to make Naruto and/or Natsu curious about the 'secret meetings' they had with Cana, Juvia, Levi, Bizca and Mira (all of them agreeing to help in the prank, since they also had a share of the Dragon slayer brothers pranks at least once) sure that at some point either Naruto or Natsu would get too curious (it was inevitable, that was their nature) and ask one of the girls, besides herself and Lissana, about it.

Naruto was the one to ask Levi. Check Mate.

The prank consisted about indirectly telling them about the White day, and then let them deduce the rest alone, sure that they would not mind it too much or simply not discover the underlying message and keep oblivious to it.

Then, the next day they would make the Dragon twins feel so guilty about not giving them gifts after their 'hard work making the chocolates for them' that they would do practically all they asked them to do, and the girls would exploit it for the rest of the day (gathering enough blackmail matherial during it to be inmune from their pranks) before revealing that it was all a prank. It was perfect!

Of course they had to underestimate the Dragon Slayer duo.

* * *

"I know it doesn't looks like much Lucy" The blonde teenager said with a small blush on his face "But it was the best I could get for you during the day."

He was holding a medium sized gift box in front of him, oddly wrapped with pieces of various gift papers and duct tape, but with a nicely done ribbon on top of it.

Looking at the wrapping, she realized it was what she could expect from someone like Naruto. He was known for the lack of finesse in almost everything he did, usually preferring a rough approach, but instead of looking bad it actually added some cuteness to the already sweet gesture of finding a gift for her.

The work, even if not really good looking, showed the effort he had put in the task on wrapping the box himself instead of just paying someone else to do it for him, and that he actually looked for the help of someone else to improve it's presentation, if the ribbon was any indicator.

And the view of Magnolia they got from the cliff they were currently sitting in…

If that wasn't enough to overlook the appearance of gift, she doubted anything else would… except maybe Master Makarov dressed like Master Bob suddenly appearing in front of them dancing ballet… why the idea crossed her mind, she had no idea.

"Naruto… it's perfect, I-I really don't have other words to describe it, but perfect… Thank you."

She meant every word of that sentence, and then she took the box from his hands. In the beginning she was slightly annoyed that Naruto made her take that long hike to this part of the forest, but following the curiosity of what he was planning she made it to the top of the cliff, and not even once since then she regretted her decision.

The place was high enough to give a perfect view of all Magnolia without problems, a great sight alone, but it seemed that the background itself had decided to play along with Naruto's plan, since she doubted such vision of the whole landscape would be seen ever again by anyone else if she didn't took a picture of it, yet she felt that by doing it, it would break the feeling of uniqueness she had at the moment, that this sunset belonged only to Naruto and her.

The sun was halfway gone in the horizon, framed by the distant mountains, giving an orange halo around itself while the rest of the sky was already taking a deeper and darker shade of blue, with some stars already shining here and there.

The forest around the city looked mysterious and magical with the shadows the dying sun made the trees project, making the perfect frame for the city itself, which was slowly starting to become alive with the lights of the streets turning on, and many couples walking on the streets, enjoying the cool and refreshing weather the afternoon brought in contrast of the usually hot weather of the city, and in the center of it all the Fairy Tail building, with the usual loudness that could be heard even from their distance.

Naruto seemed to catch her sight locked on the view in front of them and smiled, knowing that Lucy was enjoying it as much as he expected.

_(Play song: At dusk, I will think of you... - Kingdom hearts HD 1.5 Original Soundtrack)_

"I asked Levi to help me find a good moment or place to give you your gift, and she told me that anytime and anyplace would be fine with you, but that if I wished to make this a 'memorable moment' for you, it had to be a place that held some significance for any of us… I found this place some time ago while training with Natsu-nii, and since then it became one of my favorite ones" He said with his gaze focused to the sight in front of him, while foggy and weird flashes of a similar place, also high above another city, made him fell calm.

She broke eye contact with the view in front of her for a moemnt to turn to see Naruto. She could feel that what he was about to tell was something important for him, and she would never ignore one of her friends opening up for her, specially him.

"I don't know why, but this place... the view it gives… it just makes me feel… right. I know it sounds weird, but every time I come here I feel like a missing part of me is here, waiting, ready to ease me if I'm worried, or cheer me up if I'm sad, or things like that."

Not even once he turned to her while speaking, but it didn't bothered Lucy in the slightest, and she even gave him a small smile (even if he would not see it). He only chuckled lightly and shook his head before turning to her with a serene smile.

"Go ahead, open it" She nodded and did as told, carefully removing the ribbon and unwrapping the gift, careful not to damage the collage of papers with all intents of storing it. The effort he put on it was already another gift for her.

Inside the box she found three curious presents, noticing that he actually followed the principle of giving 'three times what he was given'.

True not all was chocolate like it was supposed to be, but she actually was happy for it.

First, and clearly obvious, was a box of chocolates from the 'Candy land' store. The interesting thing about them being from that particular shop was that the store allowed the customers to prepare, with some help from the owners, their own candies. Not only chocolates, but many other sweet stuff she never took the time to taste.

When she opened the box, inside she found nine key-shaped chocolates, slightly larger than the original keys, resembling her nine golden keys, curiously accurately precise to the details of the original ones, and when she took a bite from one of then she found out that they had small chips of cookies inside, just like she liked them.

Closing the chocolate box and storing it again she took out… a scarf, but it actually looked really familiar.

"I had some trouble getting that one… the girl in the store I found it refused to sell it because 'it was like having a part of Fairy Tail on her store everyday'. In the end she only sold it to me under two conditions: First that I had to give it only to someone I considered important, and second that I had to go at least twice a week to help on her store. It is like a recurrent job, paid and all, but it has to be me, and only me."

It was a close enough replica of Naruto and Natsu's own scarf, it even looked scaly and all, but on touch it was clear that it was made of cloth instead of whatever material the original ones were made… The fact he considered her someone important for him and that he went through all that trouble just to get it for her was enough to mark the item as special and to never be used to keep it in good condition.

There was also the fact that it was the Dragon Twins trademark, that was why no one used replicas of the scarf in public, it was just wrong to see it in anyone else's necks but theirs, he would surely understand.

And finally, in the bottom of the box there were two plushies shaped after them, but with childish versions of their features, like big eyes on comically big heads in contrast of their bodies. Clearly 'chibified' versions of them from the 'Stuff Yourself' store, the only one in Magnolia that would work that way.

The interesting feature of them was that the two plushies were holding each other's hand, and that both were widely smiling with cute blushes on their cheeks, it brought a blush to Lucy's face as well.

"Akame-san helped me with those even before she opened her store thanks to Wendy… She thought it would be a good detail to add something else, so…" He trailed off, now sporting a blush of his own "Try and squeeze my plushie."

When she did so she heard Naruto's voice speaking from inside the plushie, clearly a voice recording lacrima, saying 'We'll be best friends forever!'

Naruto blushed even more in embarrassment, and Lucy giggled before storing everything back in the box, and raising her head to face Naruto.

"I totally love the gifts Naruto, they are awesome" Then she put the gift box to a side and sat closer to him, turning her head to the still beautiful sight in front of them, and leaned her head on top of his shoulder, much to his nervousness… but strangely enough it wasn't uncomfortable for any of them.

He even started to enjoy the silence that came after that. Both there, sitting in the grass, enjoying the sight… And then Lucy spoke again, catching his attention, and finding that her face was quite close to his by now.

"Even if I enjoyed the gifts Naruto, for me it would have been enough this" she turned to the city and smiled "This moment now belongs to us, no one else is going to have this view ever again, I'm sure of that, and that alone is a gift that, even if it may seem simple and not really important… it's just perfect."

Once again she turned her face to him, but this time she started to close the distance between them, and Naruto also felt like doing the same, and slowly but steadily they started to bring their lips close to each other, inch by inch… Until Lucy sighed and tilted her head slightly to a side, placing what could have been the kiss she had been looking for so much time in his cheek.

She would get it in the right way, with both sure of their feelings, and not using the moment to take advantage of the confused blonde and forcing things out.

"Thank you Naruto" She whispered on his ear before leaning once again on his shoulder, and spending the rest of that magical day next to the blond fool that, despite not being the sophisticated and perfect man she dreamed with as a child, showed her once again the perfection of simplicity.

_(End Song)_


	12. A meeting with the past

**(A/N): Guess what... I'm not dead! who would have thought it, ne? It's been a loooong time, quoting GlaDos, practically two months since last update if I'm not wrong, and I would say I'm sorry for the delay, but I warned you it would take a while... It's been a hectic couple of months for me, a lot of changes, some things abandoned in order to start new ones, getting a full-time work now, lots of stuff out here in 'real world-land' but here we are, carrying on.**

**This is by far my longest chapter, and damn it I suffered a lot to get it don... believe me when I say I had pactically 7 other possible chapters nearly done, but none of them ended convincing me (funny since it was I who wrote them) util the idea for this one appeared, and here you have it, ready to be enjoyed.**

**True it can look like a filler chapter for some parts, but I found it necessary to explain more things so you don't get confused later, and also because all this time, when I was too fed up with the real life stuff I submerged myself in the Kingdom Hearts fandom, reading as many fics there as I could, and you'll maybe notice here that it kindda influenced my style a bit, so I wished to try it out.**

**Talking about the Kingdom hearts fandom... shame on you guys, there are a couple of fics I came across there that really, REALLY desserved more support, but even being finished and with sequels up have worst status than some of the worst Naruto fics, and you know that's not fair. True, there are more people in the Naruto fandom than in the Kingom Hearts one, but still... if you don't believe me then go ahead and check 'Kingdom Hearts: Reconect the pieces' from CrimsomMagi94, that's a pretty damn good Kingdom Hearts fic, at least in my opinion, but it is so low in reviews, favorites and follows that it could pass as a terrible one, and no, it's not yaoi, there is more than just yaoi in the Kingdom Hearts fandom ya' know? Well, enough of that, Jarvis has something to say, I think.**

**"Hey there, it's been a while, hasn't it? just to make things clear, first, this is clearly after a time-skip, it will be explaines in later chapters what happened during the time between Lucy's arrival in Konoha and their departure to Suna, wich is, clearly, different from canon as you will see-"**

**Yeah, because in all my previous attempts for this chapter I tried to follow cannon, but it didn't felt... right, dunno why, so I said 'screw cannon, I'll make my own 'Naruto meets Gaara and Akatsuki' arc' (The name still needs developement, I know)**

**"Will you let me speak?"**

**Heheh, sorry, continue...**

**"Well, he told you, so there, you are warned... it will somewhat follow cannon, more like maybe subtle ideas from it, but it will be different from it. And finally, to clear some possible confussions in the last part, whn Naruto finally meets Gaara, the spot Segaku refers there in his heart, is the spot Natsu now has as his brother, since when he was a ninja and Jinchuuriki, he felt that brotherly link between them, while the thing with Sasuke was more like the 'best friend' thing Naruto claimed time and time again during cannon. Well, that's it for me, see ya' in the chapter."**

**There he goes... bastard. Anyway, since the fic reached the 100 follow/favorite mark and a couple of days ago was my birthday I wished to do something special for you guys, but I have no time for double updates or stuff like that, so instead I'll allow you a direct interaction with... me! You can look for me in facebook, if you wish to, under the name 'Andre Postigo' and my current profile picture here, there we can talk I guess, maybe if someone there is working on a fic, or is planning to, and thinks I could help then you can find me and my ideas there since that's all I can do before going to sleep after I arrive home from work, so yeah, hope to see any of you there.**

**Song that inspired the chapter? Under pressure - Queen... fitting huh? with the two month wait and all, and it really didn't inspired the chapter per say, it was more like the idea popped up while hearing it, guess that works here. And song I enjoyed writting this? The dead skin - Sonata arctica... I really like that song, and it gave me an indea for a future chapter, amybe if you listen to the lirycs you can have an idea of what could come later, since I'm not telling.**

**The poll I mentioned in the previous update is up in my profile and it will remain open until the next update, so you can go and chek it out too.**

**Well, that's all for now, favorite and follow if you find the fic worthy of it, also don't forget to leave a review, those are encouraging, and we are near the 50 review mark, I would really apreciate your support... and I'm NOT being a review bitch, the uploads will continue as soon as I am done with the next chapter, but it's nice to read what you think of my work... ON WITH THE STORY! :D**

**No disclaimer this time, the A/N was long enough an you already know what this is for. **

* * *

_"If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"_

_Axel, Kingdom hearts 2_

* * *

Chapter 9: A meeting with the past

"I won't get inside that infernal thing, you can't make me!" Naruto stubbornly said, standing in front of Konoha's main gates and glaring at the group gathered in front of him with his arms crossed, as if daring them to force him.

"We've already gone over this dobe, the mission _demands _us to go inside. The whole idea of this is to remain unnoticed, and your hair, or your _pet,_ are not exactly subtle" Sasuke said while massaging his temples with a hand, earning a glare from Naruto and Kurama.

"Oh, shut it Temme, I can be as discrete as a ninja without needing to be inside _that._"

"Well, you technically _are_ a ninja already, that thing tied in around your leg says so" Sakura said, pointing a finger towards the Hitae-ate tied around Naruto's left leg. "And even if you could be as subtle as you say, which I highly doubt, it was specifically ordered by our client, who happens to be a Kage, for us to be the personal escort of the diplomatic envoy sent to the village, and that entails you also being _there _inside with her."

"For all I care the client could be the king of Fiore, and that would not make me change my decision, I will _not _go inside there."

"Now now Naruto, it would be a good idea to do as instructed, we don't want to give the village a bad image, right?"

"Shut up Cyclops!" Naruto snapped at Kakashi "You already do a great job at that, reading _porn _in front of everyone without a care in the world… Just like right now."

Kakashi gave a dramatic sigh before closing his favorite orange book and storing it on his hip pouch (being too busy searching for Naruto, Jiraya had no time to work on his next book, much to the Cyclops's dismay) and rose a finger like to make a point clear.

"That's… actually true" everyone sweat dropped at the lack of rebuttal from Kakashi, and then face-faulted with his next words.

"Well, I did my best. Good luck convincing Naruto, my cute little students, call for me when you succeed, I trust that you will." And giving Sakura and Sasuke an eye-smile and thumbs up he vanished in a poof of smoke.

"I'll pretend that didn't happened" Lucy said shaking her head in disappointment "But you do have to go inside the carriage, Naruto. The sooner we depart, the sooner we can be done with this… It was you who asked for a higher ranked mission after all, so you kindda brought this to yourself."

Lucy's tone was similar to the one a parent would use to scold a child, making Sakura, Kurama and even Sasuke snicker, making her earn a glare from the blonde, but she glared back with similar intensity, and after a short staring contest Naruto sighed as his head and arms slumped in defeat, and Lucy sent him a victorious grin.

"But Lucyyyyyy…" Naruto's voice now was whinny, and his look turned to an almost pleading one directed solely to her, making Kurama chuckle because he already knew that his friend had lost.

"It's a carriage, a _vehicle_" The venom lacing that last word made the others wonder if their friend had developed some sort of grudge against vehicles during his time away.

"Oh, come on Naruto, it's not like you are going to die from it. We've been in situations like this one before, like that time we fought against Oracion Seis, remember? We ended in a walking city and you were fine."

"Half the time Kurama was carrying me, and then Wendy cased Troia on both me and Natsu so we could fight" Naruto deadpanned to her "And that fight was over in some hours, this trip will take three days… Three. Friggin'. Days!"

Lucy unconsciously winced hearing that, it was indeed going to be a hard trip for her friend. But on the other hand she was really excited at the idea of finally being in a true mission, even if it was just a 'simple' escort one at least she got to see the world outside the village… away from demon cats with ribbons and sharp claws…

Besides that, she had been eager to try the new stuff she had learned during her week-long stay in the village so far.

She was unable to force down the smirk that came to her face when the memory of her latest display during training left Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and she was sure that even Kakashi was also gaping under his mask.

Naruto unconsciously shivered when he saw that smirk.

"Look Naruto" Lucy tried a more polite and calm approach, being the only one who could understand the reluctance of her friend to enter the carriage "I know neither you nor Natsu can stand traveling on carriages… or trains, or ships, or-"

"I got the idea, no need to be so specific" Naruto cut her grumpily, making her giggle at his annoyance.

"Very well, but you have to give it a try here, who knows? Maybe in this world you won't have any problem with getting into vehicles."

Naruto gave the carriage a tentatively glance, as if considering the idea before turning to Lucy again.

"You think?"

"I'm not sure, but we will never know unless you try" She answered with a shrug, but also giving him a reassuring smile.

Giving a defeated sigh the blonde started to drag his feet, painfully slowly, in the carriage's direction, making the other's irritation towards him grow every passing second, but somehow they managed to restrain themselves from shouting him to speed up, or just simply dragging him inside the vessel because _at least_ the blonde now was willingly going to go along with them, that would make things easier in the long run.

But when, at the door of the carriage and with one foot already inside, Naruto turned back to them with the doubtful and pleading look back on his face, and any patience that Lucy had left evaporated at that instant.

Naruto didn't stood a chance.

"Get your ass inside that carriage, or once we get Erza back I swear I'm going to tell her you gave a bad impression of us to an important client" She growled, and much to he other's amusement and curiosity Naruto paled as soon as the name 'Erza' escaped Lucy's lips, and something that suspiciously sounded like a whimper escaped his throat.

"Y-you wouldn't-"

"Of course I would. Get inside that carriage. Now"

"Seeing this time he was totally defeated, Naruto had no other option but to as told. He might enjoy hard fights to test his level of strength against stronger foes, but facing Erza when she was mad? He knew that was just downright suicidal.

Heck, even Natsu and Grey knew better than fighting in front of her.

"Eh… Lucy?"

"Yeah Sakura?"

"Why is Naruto so adamant of going inside vehicles? At first it seemed it was something against just carriages, like that one, but after that little explanation you gave…"

"Well, it's something related to his magic, I guess, because you see, he-"

"Wooohoooo!" Naruto cheered loudly from inside the carriage, making every head nearby turn in his direction.

"I'm cured! I'm cured!"he continued shouting gleefully while jumping, dancing, punching the air and doing many more embarrassing things, happily oblivious to the odd looks he was receiving from every person in the near vicinity… at least until from all that movement the carriage rolled a couple of centimeters.

For most that would have been something not worth of even noticing, but for the blonde that was more than enough to earn a reaction… sadly not a good one.

First he became silent, abruptly cutting his happy shouts, then his face became sick-green and his cheeks puffed in a way that would make a chipmunk envious of him, accompanied of profuse sweat and ending with him flopping on the carriage's floor seemingly unable to move by himself, making said vehicle move a bit more, aggravating his state even more.

While Kurama hurried to take Naruto out of the carriage since he obviously was unable of going out of it by himself, the reaction this little show earned from the people around was diverse.

There were the ones that just dismissed it as another eccentricity of a weird ninja, given that since they lived in the same village as Maito Gai, they were already used to such… exuberant displays of personality, so this were not big news to them.

Others started to chat with each other, wondering about the reason of the reluctance from the blonde to enter the vehicle, and forming wild theories about the reason of his sudden ill state varying from experimental jutsus that went wrong to simply some kind of punishment from Hokage-sama, since she was the greatest medic in the elemental nations making someone fall ill should be no problem for her.

It was Sasuke, Sakura, Izumo and Kotetsu (both still eternal guardians of the gates) who gave Lucy pointed looks, expecting some kind of explanation as to why Naruto reacted like that to the carriage moving, some other ninjas there (including some Suna-nins) imitated them, unable to understand themselves what just happened.

The blonde girl fidgeted a bit under the intensity of the looks, not sure if it was a good idea to tell them all about Naruto's… little problem with vehicles.

Thankfully she was saved from them at that moment by Tsunade, who walked to the group along with Jiraya, Shikamaru and the envoy from Suna who she hadn't met yet, sparing her from embarrassing Naruto in front of these guys, especially in front of Sasuke.

It was odd how in just the lapse of the month Naruto spent in Konoha he developed a rivalry with the raven haired guy that was very similar, if not equal, to the one his brother has with Grey back in home.

And then the idea of home brought an uncomfortable feeling in Lucy's heart, as an image of his father popped up in her head, regretful and defeated, asking for forgiveness after he lost everything he once had and promising that this time he would value the bonds he make with others more than money… she couldn't hold back the sad sigh that escaped her mouth at the memory.

She had been reluctant about totally forgiving her father after the last stunt he made, after all, paying a whole guild to practically kidnap her in order to force her to return to a place from where she escaped in the first place was a thing hard to forgive, but she did had to concede that the regret on his eyes looked sincere, and with the homesick feeling that seized her heart she considered that maybe, once this mess was over and they were back in Earthland, she should go and pay a visit to her father, and maybe talk a bit with him.

He said something about reopening the shop he and her mother opened so many years ago, a place called 'Love n' Lucky' if her memory served her well… maybe starting there would be a good idea.

"…cy, Lucy! Hey kid, are you there?"

She was brought back from her reverie by the sound of fingers being snapped in front of her face and a female voice calling her name. She had to blink a couple of times for things to come back into focus, and then noticed that the woman calling for her was Tsunade, with a slightly irritated expression on her face.

"Y-yeah, Tsunade-sama. Were you asking something?" The Hokage gave her a narrowed glare for some seconds before sighing exasperatedly, but deciding to let the matter drop and pointing to the still slightly sick Naruto on the ground.

"What happened with the gaki? He's been like that for some time now and the plushie won't tell a thing."

* * *

Curious fact, story aside for a moment, everyone of the Konoha 12, along with Tsunade and Jiraya got to call Kurama 'plushie', 'pet' or 'stuffed animal' ever since an… unfortunate incident in the Academy involving Konohamaru, Inari, Udon, Moegi and practically a whole room of girls-turned-fangirls at the sight of Naruto and his friend.

That day Kurama developed a certain phobia of being around squealing and/or prone-to-hug-cute-animals girls (Cough,fangirls,cough).

* * *

While directing a glare to Tsunade, Kurama spoke to Lucy.

"You know how the kit gets when others find about his… condition with vehicles. I don't want to be on the receiving end of his bitching so I won't say a thing, but I think that maybe you can get away with it, so if you wish to tell them go on, leave me out if it."

Naruto was still unable to stand up or talk, but he gave Kurama a glare before giving Lucy a pleading look like begging her not to tell a thing while slowly moving his head in a 'no' motion.

Lucy sighed before turning to Tsunade, intent of telling them clear on her face, along with annoyance at the way Naruto was glaring at her now. It was not hard to tell by now what his problem with vehicles was, but she guessed that if she wished the mission to finally start then Naruto would have to swallow his pride for now.

Who knows, maybe they could even help him get over that.

"His magic, the Dragon Slayer magic, is a lost magic, really scarce in Earthland but a really strong one, rivaled only with another powerful lost magic or by really skilled mages" She started with the good facts about Naruto's magic, as if trying to make things up for what would later embarrass him.

"Books tell that true Dragon Slayers are born only when a Dragon itself teaches the magic to a human, and according to what Naruto and Natsu tells everyone they were adopted by the fire dragon Igneel, who taught them their magic."

"Heh, you bet. That old oversized lizard was… is one heck of a teacher, I learned a couple of tricks from him too" Kurama said with a chuckle, earning risen eyebrows from the present ninjas.

"Well, that's interesting and all, but I don't see the point of explaining all that since we still don't know why the dobe looks like he just ate spoiled ramen" Sasuke said, earning a glare from Naruto.

On the bright side, at least Naruto was good enough now to at least stand on his own two feet.

"That's what I was getting to!" Lucy snapped at the Uchiha, earning just a shrug as if saying 'whatever' before continuing her explanation "The thing is that as powerful as his magic is, there is a small, little thing that Naruto and Natsu have in common and they relate as some kind of… downfall to the many perks their magic have, because you see… they-"

"Lucyyyyyy, noooooooooo!" Naruto shouted, looking recovered enough to try and tackle Lucy to the ground to stop her from revealing his 'weakness.'

Sadly for him Tsunade noticed him, and with one swift punch she embedded the blonde to the ground, successfully preventing him from doing anything else for the moment.

"You were saying?" The Hokage asked as if nothing had happened, making Lucy shiver at the display of strength she possessed, the dent in the ground with Naruto's form that was going to remain after he managed to remove himself from it clear testament of that.

"Ehhh… well, you see… they have motion sickness."

In the subsequent silence that followed that statement (even civilians nearby turned their heads in their direction) everyone could clearly hear the loud groan that came from Naruto, even if his face was still buried in the ground.

"Wait… I have seen the stuffed animal carry him around and not even once he got sick" Sasuke finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"The funny thing is that his… problem only kicks in inside moving vehicles, any living way of transportation doesn't affects him" Kurama said, earning some snickers from the other ninjas there.

"So, let me get this right" Jiraya said walking in Naruto's direction. "This gaki here, who happens to posses strength that could rival some of our strongest jounin, a level of fire manipulation that would put the most proficient Katon user in the land of fire to shame, and variations of low-level jutsus that could rival the likes of legends like, I dare to say, the yellow flash, has as weakness something so… so…" He struggled to find a word to describe his increasing frustration to something so…

"Stupid?" Offered Sakura, also shaking her head in amusement and disbelief.

"Foolish?" Tsunade asked.

"Funny?" A random civilian asked, earning kunai tossed on his direction, courtesy of Sasuke, making all non-ninja population in the near vicinity hurriedly return to their previous endeavors.

"Troublesome" Shikamaru said with a tired sigh while rubbing his temples in slight irritation. True, it was not his fault he guessed, but from all the weaknesses he could have acquired it had to be something as ridiculous as motion sickness.

He supposed that Naruto should be grateful then that he was not in the land of spring, or in the land of moon since in all the elemental nations, only those two used vehicles in a regular basis, while the main villages and most of the minor ones still preferred the walking way.

"Yeah, that will work Nara… Troublesome" Jiraya agreed with Shikamaru before taking the gigantic scroll off from his back and unrolling it a bit.

"Thankfully for you I have something that might help you with that problem of yours."

Naruto immediately gut up from his hole in the ground, and an instant later he was standing in front of the pervert, his expression similar to the one Tsunade would get if she was told that she won the higher prize of the lottery, and no disgrace would come to her or the village.

"Really Ero-jiji? Can you get rid of the stupid motion sickness?"

"Not actually get rid of it" The Sannin answered, taking out a kunai and slicing his thumb enough to let some blood pour into the ink pot he previously unsealed from his gigantic scroll, and mixing it with a brush "But if this works the way it is intended to then you'll forget about it at least for a couple of months, when I'll have to reapply the seal. For now just turn around and let me work in the back of your neck. Don't move or squirm because even the smallest mistake can end in disaster."

Naruto did as Jiraya instructed, eager to prove if what the pervert said was true, and forced himself not to even flinch with every cold and gooey stroke the brush made. It took close to 15 minutes for the man to finish and deem his work ready, and after it dried he called for Sakura to pour medical chakra into it until the seal disappeared.

"Well, time to see if it worked. Go ahead and enter the carriage" Jiraya ordered, already done resealing everything and strapping his scroll to his back again.

Naruto reluctantly walked inside the carriage, still not sure if it would work, and once inside he remained still, just like a statue, fearing that if he moved even an inch he would have another unpleasant meeting with the floor.

Seeing that Naruto was not going to make the carriage move anytime soon, Sasuke took the responsibility of testing Jiraya's seal, moving slowly and discreetly next to the vehicle, making sure that Naruto didn't noticed his approach, and once next to it he pushed from a side, making it roll some more centimeters and making the blonde inside it suddenly stiffen and stay immobile, rooted to his spot until the carriage stopped moving.

"What the hell was that Teme! Can't you see that now I'm… I'm… fine?"

"You're welcome dobe, now can we _please-_"

"FINALLY! No more motion sickness, no more fear of vehicles… I'M FREE!"

Naruto bellowed beaming, excited that he would no longer fall sick as soon as he stepped inside a moving vehicle, not caring at all that he was embarrassing himself even more than before with all the cheers, whoos and noises of victory he was doing.

Only when he calmed a bit more he addressed the pervert that 'cured' him.

"Hey Ero-jiji, what did you do? You said something about a seal, right?"

"Indeed, the one I applied to you is actually a pretty simple one, just a chakra storage seal with anchors to a couple of tenketsu points in your neck that connect to the chakra pathways that run near your equilibrium center, and a filter that releases the healing chakra every time it is severely affected in enough quantities to keep you fine."

Everyone sweatdropped at the puzzled faces Lucy and Naruto where giving Jiraya, who didn't noticed then until some seconds after his explanation was finished, Kurama was seriously trying to stop himself from face palming, opting for shaking his head in disappointment.

"It's a seal that heals you every time you start to feel dizzy" Jiraya summarized in a simpler way, earning an 'oh!' motion from Naruto's mouth, signaling he finally understood, and a thoughtful expression from Lucy.

"And can you teach me to make that seal? You said that it needs to be reapplied from time to time, and once we return to Earthland you won't be there to make it."

Before Jiraya could answer, Tsunade stepped ahead and spoke, they had already lost more than enough time and there had been a change in the mission, sent directly from Suna by their fastest hawk, that would further push them to hurry in their trip… at least now Naruto wouldn't be giving them any problems.

"You and the pervert can talk about training later, right now there's a mission that needs to be done. Let me introduce you two to Sabaku no Temari, the diplomatic envoy from Suna and sibling of the Godaime Kazekage Sabaku no Gaara. It was your mission to escort her all the way back to Suna, but a message arrived recently with a message stating that the Kazekage decided to meet with your group in the country's border, where you will relieve team 10 in the trip back to their village while they return back to Konoha to report about their mission. You will have a leave of 3 days to spend as you wish before you are required back here to report. Understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Was the answer of Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi (who had sneaked in the group unnoticed while Naruto was celebrating).

"All right! Now I'm all fired up!" Naruto answered energetically with an excited smirk, and punching one fist into his open palm generating some embers to appear upon contact.

Lucy's answer was a firm and confident nod, while Kurama had a predatory grin on his muzzle, remembering what happened the first time Naruto traveled to Suna after returning to Konoha, and wondering what would happen now.

He was not worried for his blonde friend at all, should anything happen he knew that now he was strong enough to face most of Akatsuki members in equal ground, and if not then he and Lucy would be by his side ready to help him. All he was feeling was genuine curiosity as to how things would change now that Naruto didn't had that same attachment to Gaara once they met again, or how he would react should he be captured once again.

Of course for that to happen, first Akatsuki would have to make the same kidnapping attempt again, and if they did it then, would Deidara and Sasori be the ones chosen to do it? Or would another pair be chosen by Pain? Or… oh the infinite possibilities made him almost giddy.

The fact that he still had a bone to pick with the group of missing-nin for trying to capture him just for Madara Uchiha to use him once more to achieve his sick ambitions, with the only exception being Itachi Uchiha… _maybe…_ had nothing to do with his eagerness to face them, not at all.

"Very well, that being clear now I'll leave you, there's still a mountain of paperwork waiting for me back at the office. Any other question about the mission can be answered by your charge."

Tsunade was already leaving, but noticed that Jiraya was taking something orange out of his clothes, so she stopped next to him and picked his ear. "And you are going with me" shunshining away along with the pervert before he had time to answer surely back to the Hokage tower.

A small orange notepad fell to the ground at that moment.

Kakashi noticed it immediately, and whistling innocently he walked next to it, picking the notepad quickly and storing it on his hip pouch before resuming his whistling and walking away as if nothing happened, earning risen eyebrows from Naruto and Lucy, and irritated glares from Sakura, Sasuke and Kurama already knowing what would be written inside a notepad possessed by Jiraya.

"I'm leaving this troublesome woman to you now, my job is done here so I'll go watch clouds in the park for a while, se ya' later" Shikamaru said, already leaving while waving a hand in a 'good bye' gesture.

"See ya' later lazy-ass!" Naruto shouted him, earning an undecipherable grumble from the lazy genius as an answer.

Only once the pineapple-haired chunnin was out of eye sight the assembled group properly turned to greet Temari, given all the… distraction Naruto provided the moment she arrived, and also a bit curious as to why she hadn't made any comment about Naruto's… unusual problem, when even civilians made fun of it.

Only then they noticed that her eyebrows were so high that were hidden by the bangs of her hair, and her mouth was also open in surprise, and without intentions of being closed anytime soon, her gaze fixated on…

"Naruto Uzumaki? Is that really you?" The curiosity and disbelief in her voice not even tried to be masked or at least toned down by the surprise she got since she first landed her eyes in the familiar mop of blonde hair that his brother had helped to look for during the last 4 years, but when she registered the rest of the body her brain just shut down.

True, Tsunade had warned her earlier that day that Naruto had changed a lot, greatly stressing that _a lot_, but to relate the shrimp that defeated Gaara during the invasion to Konoha (since that was the last time she saw him) to the guy in front of her? If not for the blonde hair, the deep blue eyes and the whisker-like marks she highly doubted she would believe they were the same person.

"It's Naruto Dragneel actually, but yeah, I'm the guy. Do I know you?"

For a moment she frowned in confusion, wondering why he didn't remembered her, but then she remembered the small meeting she had the previous day, where Tsunade, Jiraya and (much to her surprise, and slight fear) the Kyuubi, who's real name apparently was Kurama, explained her the whole situation with Naruto and said bijju, who now preferred to be referred as an exceed, whatever that is, and the whole world-jumping and age-regressing, memory loss mess (the time travel part was left untold for obvious reasons).

At that moment she dismissed all she was told, except for the supposed damage in the seal that caused the whole mess in the beginning, since the multiple tailed fox in front of her was enough proof of that, but seeing the standing proof of that in front of her right now was enough to doubt her previous doubts.

"Yes, well, not really, at least not _you_ but… urgh, let's just get inside the carriage and get started with the trip, it's practically a day and a half to the land's border so there's going to be plenty of time to talk and get to know each other without prying ears around, let's go" And not waiting for any confirmation she walked past the group and entered the carriage.

Silence followed that action, along with curious looks from the group supposed to guard her, until noticing nobody was going to even move Kakashi sighed and closed his book with a loud _snap_ and gave them an eye smile.

"Well, you heard her, let's get inside the carriage and start the mission, it's a long way to the country border so better make haste" and then followed Temari, making the rest on the ninjas (and two mages) share a shrug and enter the vehicle while the Suna ninjas formed a perimeter around them and the driver strapped the horses to the carriage making the thing finally start moving.

* * *

Once Naruto finally got over his excitement of not falling sick as soon as the carriage started moving, Temari could explain him and Lucy what she was told, obviously not mentioning the little fact that he once belonged to the Elemental Nations. She could understand and relate to the reluctance the two Sannin and the fox showed to let Naruto remember his past… many times she wished Gaara could just forget his childhood and just enjoy how now the whole village praised him as their Kazekage, because she knew how much those memories pained him, so if the blonde got a chance to grow up again, and this time truly enjoy his childhood surrounded by what he could call a family, she was nobody to take that away from him.

But now there was the matter of her brother. As the years went by after his defeat at the hands of the blonde boy, his newfound resolution to show the village that he was not a monster was cemented by the friendship Naruto offered him, drawing strength from the idea of proving him right when he trusted Gaara to change for the better and find the drive to fight for those he held dear… the news that the same bo that became that became his first friend now had no idea of who he is or how he could relate to him would be devastating.

She only hoped that his resolve wouldn't crumble, or that the blonde could find a way to bond with Gaara strongly enough that he wouldn't mind him acting as a total stranger.

Thing he had been doing this whole time, at least in her opinion.

The first time she was in Konoha not much interaction had been held between her and the blonde, and most of what she could tell about him was from what she saw in the way he interacted with his peers during the Chunnin exams, and she saw a carefree and happy attitude, bordering on the over exaggerated and comical side, always loud and acting in an obnoxious way, like trying desperately to be the center of attention.

That fight against the Inuzuka boy during the preliminaries, and the unorthodox way he… _used _to get an upper hand over him along with the trash talk both used during practically the whole fight proved to be enough evidence of her theory.

But due to her curiosity about why Gaara had taken such interest in him at the time, stating that they were 'the same' lead her to catch the brief moments that mask was gone and see the truth underneath.

At first she didn't minded what she saw much, the boy was still someone really weak in her eyes after what she had saw so far, but it was during his fight with the Hyuuga boy she finally realized why his brother was so fixated on him… during that fight the goofy mask disappeared and she saw the real Naruto Uzumaki, victim of his village hate, also a pained demon container, but bent down in demonstrating others his true value.

It made her almost feel sorry to invade his village at the time.

But the teenager sitting in front of her right now, relating stories about his 'home world' and adventures he had along his brother and guild mates, along with the blonde girl next to him and the small fox on her lap, was a complete opposite of the boy under the mask all those years ago.

Certainty and security laced every word he spoke, gone was the obnoxiousness, and even if some of the loudness remained it was there not because he expected that it would catch the attention of others, it was because it was his nature to be like that.

Confidently he spoke about his experiences in a world called Earthland, joking and sometimes over exaggerating on what he said, but being shot down immediately by Lucy and Kurama, just to seconds later laugh about it and let the blonde continue his tale with renewed enthusiasm, managing to make even her fall enthralled with the fairytale–like stories of jobs gone wrong, dark wizards, dark guilds, magic and things like that, and during all the reminiscence the only moments she could catch glimpses of something different from happiness and excitement as the tales developed where when he spoke about his brother and friends.

And not only him, but Lucy and strangely enough Kurama too shared that same expression at that same exact moments, and she recognized that expression as one of melancholy, and even maybe home-sickness, further increasing her certainty that she had no right to steal him… them that happiness, and how much she would hate explaining this to Gaara, and make him understand that when the time came he would have to let his first friend, and reason of his change of heart, go.

"… and that's how we got permission from baa-chan to let Lucy stay in the village, along with the rest of the guys once we manage to get them out of that… what was it? Something about time-space…"

"Time-space breach? I remember that Loke said something like that when we met in the spirit world" Lucy said while scratching Kurama behind his ears, making the fox purr in pure bliss earning chuckles from every person in the carriage every now and then, not that the fox cared at the moment in his current relaxed state.

This was so not going to help him with that 'pet' nickname in the near future.

"Yeah, I think that was it. Heh, I wonder how the others will react once we bring them here."

"Knowing them? I already have an idea, and it will be daaaaaaamn amusing" Kurama mumbled, still enjoying Lucy's care.

"Hmm? Why you say that Kurama-san? I'm sure we all here would like to know why you said that" Kakashi asked, lifting his head from his book for a moment.

"Yeah Kurama, why would you think that bringing them to the village would be amusing?" Lucy asked, stopping her scratching and making the fox sigh, and understanding that no more stroking would come for him, he materialized his small wings with some magic and floated over Naruto's head, before resting on his mop of hair after stretching and yawning.

If not for the fact that they were trained Kunoichi capable of hiding their emotions when needed, and knowing that he actually is a giant fox capable of leveling a whole village by himself, Sakura would have regressed to her fan girl state, Temari would have discovered that side of herself, and both would have been currently squeezing the life out of the fox for how cute that little scene looked.

"Well, to name some examples the old man and Jiraya would practically marry each other if the old man gets a copy of Icha-Icha on his hands…" Kakashi took a mental note of making sure that happened, a new member in the order of the book was always welcome, specially one as devoted as Kurama made him look.

"… and Erza would be breathing in the back of their necks every time she could do so…" Lucy giggled at that, and Naruto felt already sorry for master Makarov. "… Levy would be pestering the pervert too, but because of curiosity about sealing since it is so similar to the runes she sometimes uses, of course she would only do that when she is not locked up in the library devouring book after book. Oh, Gray would find a twin in the Emo king here, and you Naruto would be fighting against them along with Natsu every single moment a chance presents itself, and then the Uchiha would learn the reason of why you are afraid of Erza."

"Hey! I'm not afraid of Erza!"

"Yeah, you are only respectful of her intimidating presence" Lucy said in a teasing tone, making the others in the carriage, and even the driver outside it, share a laugh at Naruto's expense, while said blonde decided it was a good moment to start sulking with both arms crossed over his chest and a childish pout, making the others laugh even harder.

That is until the carriage stopped and someone knocked on the door.

"Temari-sama" One of the Suna-nin, they guessed, addressed her politely "It's already dark out there, and the driver has advised to camp for the night and continue tomorrow with the sunlight. He also says that we have made good time so far since there had been no complications up to this point, so we should be arriving to the land's border tomorrow, a little past noon."

Temari was gratefully surprised by the news, she had not felt the time passing by at all, and by the surprised looks everyone else shared she guessed neither they did, so she made a mental note to thank later the two blondes and the small fox for making an otherwise long and boring trip something actually enjoyable.

"Fine, choose a location for the camp and then we will help you with the tents and all that is needed."

She could swear that she heard chuckles outside before the ninja spoke again.

"Already done Temari-sama, we were only waiting for your permission to start working on the camp."

"Oh, well, go ahead then, we will be joining you in a moment."

"As you say, Temari-sama."

"I can't believe it's already night, we left Konoha some time before noon, it must have been at least 6 or 7 hours so far" Sakura voiced the thoughts in everyone's heads.

"Well, the stories Naruto and Lucy shared with us proved to be quite the entertainment for a usually boring and long trip, for that we should thank them, don't you think?" Kakashi said, making Sakura and Temari nod with a smile while Sasuke just shrugged in what seemed to be an agreeing way.

"You just voiced my thoughts Kakashi-san, but for now I guess we should head outside to help" Temari said already standing and opening the door and turning off the lamp that had illuminated them during their trip, and shortly after everyone else followed her outside, and after a fast stretch they were guided to where they would rest for the night by a Suna-nin that stayed behind waiting for them.

The camp was set quite fast with all the hands working on it. The Suna-nins were working on the tents while Kakashi and Sasuke set traps, Lucy and Sakura collected wood for the fire, and Naruto along with Kurama went fishing to a nearby river where the driver took the horses to drink some water and rest.

It was not much later that everyone were eating their fish, sitting around the fire that Naruto had made, making everyone who had not seen him using his magic before quite curious about it when he lit his hand on fire, turning on the wood the girls brought and then putting it away just as if nothing happened.

After answering some questions about how his magic worked the dinner was over and everyone went to their respective tent for the night, while the Suna-nins took turns to do the night watch and guard the carriage.

* * *

"Hey Teme, are you already sleeping?" Naruto asked entering the tent he was signaled to share with Sasuke.

"I _was _trying to sleep until you opened your mouth, thanks for that dobe" Naruto could practically hear the eye roll that came with his sarcastic answer. "What took you so long? I started to think I was going to have the tent for myself tonight."

"Yeah, yeah, keep dreaming Teme."

"That's the idea of getting some sleep, dobe. Anyway, back to my previous question, why you returned so late?"

"Kurama got hungry and we returned to the river to fish something else for him… Happy has really rubbed on him his love for fish" Naruto said with a chuckle taking off his waistcoat, scarf and sandals before lying over the sleeping bag set for him.

"Why you care so much about that fox? True he is your friend and all that, but what makes you think he won't betray you if he gets the chance?" Sasuke voiced his concern, after all if the fox denied him his memories it was like betraying him already, at least in his mind.

"Pfff, Kurama betray me? There's a bigger chance that Ero-jiji gives up in being a pervert, or baa-chan giving up on sake for good" Naruto answered with a snort.

"You sound certain of that."

"I would be lying if I say that I'm not."

"Still, I can't understand how you can be so trustful of that fox, the Naruto from-"

"Look Sasuke, this is where I'll draw the line" Naruto cut him off with a serious tone, and if that didn't caught his attention then the fact that he used his name this time did, so he kept quiet for the moment to let Naruto say whatever he had on his mind.

"I can't totally understand the reason you ninjas are always distrustful of anyone around you, even of your allies. I don't know if it's something just from Konoha, or if it's just the way this world works, or if it's some king of general rule you have to follow once you become a ninja, but I don't like to work in that way, nor does Lucy or Kurama, and that means that we trust each other entirely, and I know any of us would not doubt to put even our lives in the hands of the other if the need comes."

Naruto sighed and then took some deep breaths to calm himself down. His voice had risen a bit as he spoke, and he could tell that he was getting worked up with the way Sasuke was speaking about Kurama, but he also had to remember that this was not Earthland, and that in this side of the coin Uzumaki had not come across _his_ version of Kurama, but with a hateful demon sealed inside him since his birth, and by what Tsunade and Jiraya told him, it made his life a living hell ever since.

Sasuke clearly cared for Uzumaki, even if he would never admit it loudly, so he could understand why his distrust of Kurama seeing things from his perspective since his image of the fox was not exactly a good one, but he would, or at least try, to make things clear from his perspective, and make him see why he trusted Kurama so much.

_(Play song: Missing you – Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Original Soundtrack)_

"I know why you are so suspicious of Kurama. By what baa-chan and Ero-jiji told me, his version in this world is the demon sealed inside Uzumaki, and he's not exactly the best guy to spend time with, I guess, but… that is not the Kurama I know."

'_He is, and he's manipulating you to take you away from home, idiot!' _Sasuke wished to shout at him, grab him by his shoulders and shake him until some memories returned to that knucklehead of his, but decided against it since he knew that at this point something like that would only bring problems rather than solutions.

"He's more than just a friend, or even than my best friend" Naruto continued, his face adopting a melancholic expression. "He was the one who found me in the forest when I got lost on it, back when I was only 5… I remember I was afraid of almost everything around me, I had no idea where I was or how I got there, and I almost escaped from Kurama when I saw him, but he remained by my side, really struggling to befriend me… once I got over my fear of him I let him take care of me, and then we met Natsu, who took us to meet Igneel."

For a moment he remained silent, as if lost in his own memories, but with a warm smile in his face all the time. Sasuke was about to say something to bring him back to the present, but then Naruto spoke once again.

"He continued by my side even after Igneel decided to take care of me… well, maybe that was also because I practically glued myself to him to prevent him from leaving" He added with a chuckle.

"But he not only stayed with me, but also with Natsu, helping Igneel take care of us as we grew up, and not even once he asked something in return from any of us, besides the occasional spar with Igneel to check how much he had improved… Not even once he won, but it seemed both had a good time during their fights. He did a lot, not only for me, Sasuke… tell me, would someone with the intent of betrayal do that much for so many years?"

"I… guess not."

"When Igneel disappeared we didn't knew what to do…" Naruto kept talking, but this time his voice took a softer tone "Natsu and I were totally lost without dad, and the only things we had left from him were these scarves" he said lifting his own.

"That was the first time I ever saw Natsu cry. He always put on a strong and brave front, always ready to protect me, his younger brother, and show me that I should never be afraid of anything, but… seeing him there, openly crying and screaming, clearly unable of doing anything to change the situation we were in made me feel helpless, because if he, the strong and brave Natsu could do nothing, then what could I, the younger and weaker Naruto, do?"

He had to stop talking once again, but this time so he could clean the tears that always came along with the memory, and also to take some deep breaths to calm himself and stop the slight tremble that was starting to sound in his voice. Then a soft chuckle escaped his mouth as the memory that came after the previous one came up.

It always warmed his heart, and reminded him that he would never be alone.

"We stayed like that for the whole morning, too depressed to do anything and hugging each other to reassure us that the other was still there and would not disappear the next second, but it seemed Kurama had enough moping and broke the hug surprising us… You know what he did next?" Naruto asked with humor, and seeing Sasuke shook his head no, he let out a laugh before continuing, clearly happier this time.

"He smacked us in the back of our heads before scolding us clearly annoyed on how we were acting. And thinking back then, what he told us at that moment was really silly, even stupid, but it did it's work and lifted our mood along with our spirits, and unconsciously started our search for Igneel."

"What did he told you?"

"Get up you two flame-heads, this is obviously some kind of stupid test that overgrown lizard came up with to see if you could find him, and really, if you can't find an stupidly big dragon then I will question myself on how are you able to, at least, put one feet in front of the other without slamming your face in the ground every time you walk" Naruto said trying to imitate Kurama, but failing miserably and making Sasuke chuckle in amusement.

"I guess that was not true, if you are still looking for him until today."

"Yeah, it took us practically a moth for us to realize that. True, it was hard to come to terms with the fact that Igneel just… left, but thanks to all the encouragement that Kurama gave us during that month our reaction was far better that it could have been. He kept looking after us during all the time we traveled alone; we were still kids after all."

"At first he told us to grow stronger so it would take us less time to find Igneel, but after we discovered he abandoned us he started to encourage us to train even harder to 'punch him in the face for escaping like that'."

"He really did a lot for you then…"

"And then some more. If Igneel didn't had the title already I'm sure both me and Natsu would agree that he is the closest thing we had to a father during that year we traveled alone. All he had to stand and all he did showed us how much he cared, and still cares… Do you have someone like that Sasuke? Someone who would do anything just so you can be fine?"

Sasuke doubted about answering that question for a moment. Was it ok if he told him? He wasn't the kind of person who would just open to others… but this was Naruto, the blonde idiot that somehow managed to change his mind from aiming to destroy Konoha to accept becoming it's Hokage, even if he knew that the title rightfully belonged to him.

He doubted there was much he would be comfortable hiding from him.

Also, he had just shamelessly shared with him a personal experience where he had felt vulnerable and weak, admitting it without regret, so he decided that telling him about his brother was a fair trade, and the least he could do to return him that sudden display of trust.

"I had… have an older brother I'm looking for, he had to take a difficult… _decision _to avoid what otherwise could have been a terrible disaster and had to flee from the village because of that. He even tried to make me hate him, so I would stay inside the village and not foolishly follow him" _And he succeeded, making me hate him so much that in the end I killed him _he mentally added to his half-lie with a dry chuckle.

"He must really love you if he sacrificed that much just for you."

"Sometimes I wonder if I will even begin to understand just how much…"

Silence fell between them once again, both staring the roof of the tent, thinking about the little chat they just had, and it continued for some more time until the sound of someone standing broke it, making Sasuke turn and see Naruto stepping out of the tent, not even bothering to put on the rest of his clothes.

"Where are you going dobe? Isn't it cold outside?"

"Dragon Slayer magic, remember? And don't worry about me, I'll just be out here, thinking about… stuff, so it's not like I'll get lost or something like that. You just get some sleep, I'll return in a while. G'night!" and with that he stepped outside, leaving Sasuke inside alone, and shrugging he closed his eyes again in hopes of getting some sleep, but also feeling strangely calm after that little talk with the blonde.

"Good night, Naruto."

_(End Song)_

* * *

"Well, this certainly makes things easier for us" a deep voice said, not caring about the cup of sake placed in front of it, but focusing in the man in front of him.

"It was supposed to be kept as a secret from the rest of us, but one of the Kazekage's Jounin guards happen to be a close friend of mine, so after a couple of bottles of sake while sharing some old stories from missions and fights that interesting little bit of information escaped his sluggish lips, and like you have been so generous to me so far I knew I had to share it with you Sasori-sama, and it pleases me to see that it is useful to you" Another man said, downing his own cup of sake.

The Hitae-ate tied around his arm signaled him as a Shinobi from Suna.

"And was it said when or where this meeting was going to be held?"

"I'm afraid not Sasori-sama, all my friend said was that the Kazekage was going to travel to the land's border with the land of fire, escorted by a team of Konoha Shinobi along with a team of his most trusted and loyal guards, to meet with the diplomatic envoy sent to Konoha, before heading back to the village. The Kazekage left the village today in the morning, surely heading to that meeting, so he should be reaching ht border tomorrow."

"Despite the lack of details, this information you have provided me proves to be useful, and as well it will be properly rewarded."

"Once again you humble me with your kindness, Sasori-sama, and who am I to refuse it?"

"You talk too much, consider yourself lucky that the information you provide me pleases me, and so your services are still required, otherwise you would be long dead, I have enough with Deidara as it is. Now leave before I change my mind, I have plenty of planning to do and you are starting to waste my time. Expect your payment in the same way it has arrived so far."

"As you order, Sasori-sama" the man vowed to Sasori, a smirk never leaving his face as he retreated out of the bar the meeting had been held in, and taking a set of round glasses out of a pocket in his Jounin vest he paced them on his face.

His smirk widened even more as he pushed them upwards with a finger, making them shine maliciously with the light of the street he was walking through before disappearing with a shunshin.

* * *

Despite the tiredness that she felt, the excitement and uncertainty of how the meeting the next day would develop made it impossible for Lucy to get any sleep so far, because if there had been no exaggerations, then getting to meet and escort a Kage held the same significance that being a part of the royal guard for someone like the king of Fiore for a day would have.

Surely the payment would be good enough so that she could live without worrying about rent for a good while.

Accepting that, at least for now, sleep would elude her no matter how much she tried, she dressed herself up and covered herself with a mantle, deciding to take a small walk outside, or maybe just stay outside and contemplate the sky, there was much to take in consideration in this strange world she currently was in.

Strangely, she wasn't as surprised as she supposed she should be when, after silently stepping outside the tent she was sharing with Sakura, she noticed a familiar silhouette lying in the floor, sporting nothing more than his pants and with both hands working as a pillow behind his head.

_(Play song: The afternoon streets – Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Original Soundtrack)_

"Also having trouble sleeping?" Lucy asked, getting the bother blonde's attention.

"Oh, hey Lucy" Naruto greeted her "Nah, just had to think about… stuff."

"Stuff, yeah" She said in a deadpan tone while taking a place next to him "Out with it flame-boy, I know you enough to say that 'stuff' means something you are worried about or something you don't understand."

"Nothing escapes you, eh? Key-girl?" Naruto asked in a teasing tone before sighing and speaking with a more sober sound in his voice.

"Yeah, you could say that it's something like that… maybe something I can't understand that is troubling me."

"Maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe. I don't know with certainty myself, but it's this… feeling I got ever since I started living in Konoha that sometimes scares me."

"Go on, I'm here to help you, and you know you can trust me with anything troubling you."

"It's ironic, because you know… it's exactly a matter of trust what is making me feel this way."

"Huh?"

"You see… during the time I've spent here, some of Uzumaki's friends have tried to convince me to stay, you know that, right?"

"Ugh, don't make me remember when that dog-boy tried to flirt with me after you stopped him from talking about that. I still feel like kicking him again after what he _tried_ to do."

"I'm sure Kiba caught your point that first time" Naruto said with a chuckle "By the way even Akamaru whined when your feet impacted… _them_, he won't be trying something like that again anytime soon, if not ever."

"Best for him, if he values his well being of course."

"Okaaaayyyy… back to the main topic, at some point they tried to convince me that Earthland, the guild, and all we went through there was only a dream, a fantasy, or some crap like that."

"Well, that's just stupid, I'm here after all."

"My thoughts exactly, but while trying to convince me of that they became closer to me, trying to become my friends, and treating me as if they knew me from a lifetime… maaaaybe I helped that by allowing them to treat me like they used to treat Uzumaki."

"That was foolish of you, maybe considerate and kind from your part by how they seem to care for Uzumaki, but foolish nonetheless."

"I know, I know, sorry" He said, holding his hands in front of him in a defensive way for a moment before folding them behind his head again "But as they befriended me I couldn't help but feel that I could return that kind of treatment, and even trust them just as if they were part of the guild, also nakama, even if I juts met them… As an example, just some time ago I told the Teme about when Igneel left us, and it even felt good to speak with him like that… but besides you, Lissana-neesan, Erza, Mira and Makarov-jiji nobody in the guild knows about it…"

"You really are silly, aren't you, Naruto?"

"Huh?"

"It's not a matter about if you trust more us or them Naruto, it's just the way you are. You and Natsu value friendship greatly, more than many in the guild I could say, and so you two can befriend almost anyone if given a chance, don't you remember how we met? You trust your friends, that is something that you do subconsciously, and so you trust the friends you have made here, but the difference is that with all this 'other world and other Naruto' mess, and them trying to prevent you from returning to Earthland made you try to close yourself from them, that's all."

"You think so, Lucy?"

"Of course! There's nothing you have to worry about regarding that because, after all, that's the reason I love you…"

"…"

"…"

"What!?"

"What? No, I mean I love you… you… youuuur friendship! Yeah, that's what I meant! That that's why I love your friendship! Sheesh Naruto, what's with you and reacting to incomplete ideas?!" Lucy said, a little too fast, fighting madly to hide the fact that her cheeks were as hot as radiators by now. That one had been waaay to close.

"Oh, heheh… sorry Lucy" Naruto said awkwardly, also fighting off his own blush. And even if he haven't thought about it ever since the day he arrived to Konoha, when he related the hug that Sakura gave him to one of the ones Lucy would sometimes give him, right now he couldn't help but think that maybe, and that's a _really_ big maybe, this feeling of disappointment he started to feel after hearing Lucy's explanation was caused because she denied that unconscious love declaration from a moment ago.

He still couldn't forget that day on the cliff overlooking Magnolia when he gave her those three gifts, or how much he suffered looking for them, and how much he enjoyed looking her smile after she discovered every gift he got for her.

How they enjoyed that sunset together, and she told him that it was _their _special moment, that nobody else would enjoy something like that ever because that scenery belonged only to them.

How she turned to him, and very slowly started to approach to him, their lips almost touching at that moment, he practically tasting that strawberry-flavored lipstick he sometimes saw her use, and how he craved ever since to truly taste her lips after she denied them that kiss… that first kiss.

He knew it was pretty obvious by now, and that he was just living in denial to avoid ruining the beautiful friendship he had with Lucy, because really… who would believe that he, HE of all people would fall in love with her, and most importantly…

How could he even consider the idea that she, Lucy Heartfilia, would fall for someone like him?

Time passed as they started a friendly chat once the awkwardness wore off, and slowly the night became colder and colder, not that Naruto would notice it, but Lucy on the other hand…

"Hey Lucy, are you feeling fine? I think you are trembling."

"N-naaah, I-I'm p-perfectly f-fine, j-just a b-bit c-cold" She stuttered while hugging herself tightly with the cover she took out of the tent, trying to warm even a bit her freezing body.

"I think you should return to your tent, you don't need to stay out here with me" He advised her, even if he really wished that she could stay next to him for the rest of the night.

"S-shush you, I w-want to s-stay o-out h-here b-because the n-night s-sky l-looks w-wonderful."

And indeed, her half-lie held truth in that part, because the sight up there was indeed breathtaking, with big masses of stars shinning, unhidden from sight since there was no city nearby that would disturb their sight with its lights.

But Naruto's attention was currently focused somewhere else.

"Then let me help you with the cold" he said, nearing Lucy and wrapping an arm around her, holding her close to him and letting his naturally warmer body help her deal with the cold. How satisfied he felt when Lucy nuzzled closer to him and let out a relieved sigh.

"Thanks for that Naruto."

"Anytime Lucy, that's what friends are for after all, helping each other."

And so they stayed that night, close to each other and enjoying the company and the sight, and so comfortable in their current position they were that neither of them noticed when the other fell asleep, Naruto tightening his grip on Lucy, and she wrapping an arm across his chest, both with small smiles on their faces and an unusual but welcome warmth in their hearts.

_(End Song)_

* * *

"D'awwww, they look so cute like that, don't they?"

"Hn, I'll admit this is certainly… unexpected."

"I told you those two had something for each other, guess this further proves that."

"Yeah, yeah, they both like each other and that's sweet and all, but we have a meeting scheduled for today and I would like to arrive on time to it… now that I think about it, I shouldn't have to worry about that since assuring that I arrive on time is YOUR MISSION!"

"Fine, fine, I'll wake them up… but how I would like to have a camera right now, it would be amusing to see Hinata throw a fit seeing the scene. This is just too much of good blackmail material that it's almost painful to let it go like that."

"Sasuke, better wake them up fast, because if you don't the one that will be throwing a tantrum will be Temari-san."

With a loud sigh Sasuke poured as little chakra as he could to the tip of his index finger, and pointing it towards Naruto, and with a smirk he let go a single senbon-like ray of electricity at high speed, getting an interesting reaction from the blonde upon impact.

With a high jump and a loud yelp he woke up, also waking Lucy quite forceful in the process, and glaring daggers at the three people and the fox gathered in front of him, all of them with amused grins on their faces and clearly holding back the chuckles.

"Okay, I felt a shock there and the only one that uses Raiton from you are the cyclops and the Teme, and since the weirdo is nowhere in sight then it was you Sasuke, so you better start explaining, and best for you to make sense" Naruto said threateningly while igniting his punches.

Temari would have been surprised to the quick deduction Naruto made despite the 'shocking' wakeup call he got (yeah, bad pun, kill me now) had she not been irritated enough by the unexpected delay he and Lucy had caused, so she released some killing intent as she spoke to make her point clear.

"If you two lovebirds are done nuzzling each other, there's a meeting we need to be later this day, and we are delayed enough as it is, so if you please put your clothes on we would be able to leave. I will be waiting in the carriage" and after throwing Naruto a small bundle with his waistcoat, scarf and sandals she stomped in the direction of the vehicle.

Sasuke, Sakura and Kurama shrugged and started walking behind her, leaving the two blondes alone.

Annoyance turned into curiosity after the group left, wondering why he was out here and what was about that 'lovebirds' comment about, but when he turned to a side and saw Lucy there looking as clueless as him, realization along with the memories of the last night hit him with the strength of Taurus's tackling him.

He immediately turned to a side, avoiding eye contact with Lucy and quickly putting on his scarce clothing, hiding his big blush behind his scarf once it was back on his neck.

Since she was already dressed, Lucy only waited for him to finish, also avoiding his gaze and hiding her own blush, but also with a shy smile on her face.

"Well… ehh, ummm… you… me… us… I… think we should follow them now, surely they are waiting for us."

"Yeah, better hurry before Temari-san comes here and takes us there herself."

"Heh, true… and… Lucy?"

"Hmm?"

"About yesterday… well, ehhh…" seeing his nervousness and loss of words, she decided to help him.

"Don't worry Naruto, I also liked it" and giggling at the dumbstruck face of her friend, she started walking towards the carriage.

"Hey, come on! Let's not make them wait even more!"

"R-right!" Was the only answer his mind could provide him, besides smiling like an idiot, and running after her they made their way to the carriage so they could continue with their mission.

* * *

The remaining part of their travel went mostly silent , with the random question thrown and answered briefly due to the aura of embarrassment radiating from Naruto and Lucy, increased by the smug smirks the members of the group, the Suna escorts included, gave them practically every time their eyes landed on them.

Sasuke kept lamenting he didn't brought a camera with him.

It was a couple of hours past noon when the carriage stopped, one of the Suna-nin informed them that they had reached their destination and that the Kazekage was already waiting for them, along with his own escort and team 10, referred as ' a group of peculiar Konoha Shinobi'.

An atmosphere of nervousness and uneasiness fell upon the group as they stepped down the carriage. With the only exception being Naruto. Who looked all too happy to progress to the nest part of the mission, checking around the change of scenery from the previous day, with the now more scarce trees and the clear beginnings of the hot, wide and sandy desert spread up ahead.

Team Kakashi, along with Kurama, were curious and/or nervous about how would Naruto react seeing Gaara once again, and how it would affect his memories.

Temari had similar feelings to the previously mentioned group, but hers were directed to her younger brother, while Lucy was just plain excited at the idea of meeting with the leader of another village.

It didn't took long for them to reach the location of the other group waiting for them, and for Naruto to recognize two bowl-like hairstyles along with huge eyebrows, white and pupil-less eyes, and brown hair tied in two buns… he hadn't spent much time with the oddly assembled team 10 since they were sent to their mission in Suna, but if they were like the guys back in Konoha then he would get along with them just fine.

As he headed to where they were standing, he totally missed the widened green eyes of a red haired boy around his age not too far from them, and was about to greet the team from Konoha when the voice of the red head called for him, sounding unsure if he was calling right, making Naruto turn to face him.

"Naruto… Uzumaki?"

This was the first time Naruto ever saw the guy in front of him, of that he was sure, and yet… the black rings around his eyes, that mark on his forehead, the raid hair… he had no idea, or at least not one he could clearly identify, but he knew this guy.

He knew he had suffered a lot, he knew he held a heavy burden… he knew so much about this guy he had never seen before in his life, and even if he didn't felt any special attachment to him, he just knew that he should.

All this was very confusing for the blonde, this reflected in the frown on his face as he kept staring him, since his head was suddenly filled with all this knowledge about the red head but his heart lacked the feeling he knew should come with it, with the nagging suspicion that someone else now occupied that spot and all that knowledge was just like a distant echo of something far more important… shaking his head to clear his mind from the confusing (and surprisingly elaborate) thoughts, he finally addressed him back.

"You are Gaara, right?"

Whatever Gaara was about to say was interrupted by the sound of something falling from the sky, and the muffled cries of some Suna-nin around them, who now had something attached to their faces.

"Shit! It's Deidara! Everyone avoid the clay animals if you are planning in surviving the day!" Sasuke shouted as he shot electric senbon from his hands to the trapped ninjas.

It would hurt them like a bitch, but al least it would disable the bombs and save them from certain death.

"Oh, so you recognized my art, un?" Someone called from the sky "Too bad you won't be able to escape from this!"

Some of the ninjas in the ground turned their heads upwards to locate the source of the voice, being distracted just enough to allow some of the clay spiders that Sasuke haven't destroyed yet to latch on them, while new bird-like clay bombs descended upon then at great speed.

Lucy also got distracted by the voice, totally missing the spider that was about to pounce on her.

"Lucy!" Naruto shouted after getting rid of a couple of bombs after casting a fire dragon's roar, having activated his magic as soon as Sasuke shouted the warning, and launching himself in Lucy's direction with the help of fire exploding under his feet, he managed to push her to a side just before the clay spider landed on her.

Unfortunately for him, at that moment he took Lucy's place as the spider's target, unable to prevent said bomb from landing on his face.

"My art… is a BLAST! KATSU!"

_BOOOM!_

"NARUTO!"


	13. Echoes of war - Sasuke Uchiha

**(A/N): Gah! leave that alone damn it! NO! That is not supposed to be... GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY OFFICE!**

**Well, hello there, it's been what, a bit over half a year? I don't really know, things have been quite heavy for me these last months. Moving in back with my parents, getting a new job, starting classes, lots of exams... I've barely had any free time left, up until now, with final exams being the only thing left I've finally have a breather for this, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so much time.**

**On a good note, there's a high chance for me to get a scolarship thanks to my grades, so that's a relief both regarding my academic status and my wallet, kami knows I need some relief in the later.**

**Well, back to our beloved fiction world, Plot bunnies have invaded my working space, and have made quite a mess of my original plans... God damt it, Jarvis! Get those fucking furry things out of the studio or I swear I'll make you one of them!**

**"Fine, fine... geez, one would think their soft and cute nature would help you relax..."**

**-sigh- Anyway, even if they did that, I can't really say I dislike the new twist this is going to take, and I hope you will like it too... this chapter is written, mostly, to show that. Even if it's true this one has a darker nature than the usual, it also serves to show how much this will change. I really disliked how most fics portray Sasuke and Gaara as ever stoic people that seems more like robots more than human beings, so here I'm making a bit of Character developement on both, picturing them more human, besides explaining a bit the mayor plot twist you'll see in a while.**

**Also, there are also some new bonuses, like the new Fic picture... yeah, that's how Naruto looks like right now, besides the Kingdom Hearts Quotes I added on top of every chapter, and the rewrite of the first chapter, and half of the second one, all so you can enjoy this fic more.**

**All I do here, I do it for you :3**

**Song that inspired this once Mini-chapter, now full fledged chapter: The unforgiven - Apocalyptica. I know the original song is from Metallica, and I do know what it is about, and really like it, but at the moment I'm all into instrumental music, like piano, strings and the like, so there you go.**

**Song I listened to while I wrote this? Actually a couple, one you will see, or more like hear, later on this very same chapter, the other was: "Third movement: Riku, Scherzo e Intermezzo - Kingdom Hearts Piano collections" Really, both very much depicting the image of Sasuke I wished to portray here, you Kingdom Hearts lovers out there may understand what I mean here.**

**Well, that's it for now I think, thanks for still reading this, thanks to the people who participated in the poll, so there will be an Omake chapter for the bonus I made some time ago, and thanks, really really big thanks to SeishinNaruto 10922 for helping me with this chapter, without her you wouldn't be reading this right now.**

**Oh, really, check too our Co-op fic on her profile, it's name is Shi no Tatchi, and even if it's only two chapters long so far I think we are doing a good damned job.**

**Also, a couple recomendations for those out there that are looking for good Kingdom hearts fics, 'The return of Eraqus' by Theysharethesamesky, 'Heart and Soul' by twilit angel, 'Keyblades of future past' by lyokoMARVELanime, and finally 'Twilight key' a really good Naruto-Kingdom Hearts crossover, easy to understand even for those who are not really familiar with the KH lore, you should read it if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, along with 'Hunter of the Dark' by Darkside524 if you are looking for a good laugh.**

**Mayor warning tough, the coup de grace of this chapter is about a broken Naruto, a regretful Sasuke, and something no one out there would think canon-Naru would ever do, so if you are too sensible about that kind of stuff, you're warned. **

**ON WITH THE STORY! :D (you know I don't own anything)**

* * *

_"In the past, I was overcome by the dark and betrayed you. Look what's become of me."_

_Riku - Kingdom Hearts 2_

* * *

Chapter 10: Echoes of War – Sasuke Uchiha

He could not stay in that same room anymore, not after the scene he witnessed just seconds ago...

True, it was an intimate moment between the two of them, they didn't mean to do it just for his eyes. But he had the misfortune of returning, with the bowl of Ramen his blonde friend had wined for what felt like hours after the first taste of the hospital food, just at that moment.

It was funny, the first thing his mind told him after the bowl crashed on the floor and he was already heading towards the hospital's door was _"Now the dobe must be crying over the wasted Ramen."_

It was probably true, some things haven't changed about his best friend-almost brother after all, all the time he spent in the village after his return showed him so.

But others…

He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He wasn't aware how fast he had been running, or even where he was at the moment, so it really came as a surprise to him when he stood just a few meters from the entrance to the sand village.

"_You'll be by my side forever, right?"_

His legs felt weak, unable to hold him anymore, so he ended on his knees. Bowing while still breathing hard, feeling even more tired than before.

"_Of course little brother. I'll never leave you alone again, I promise."_

And now he felt dizzy, the edges of his vision blurry, and the taste of bile coating his mouth. It was like an ugly Déjà-vu of his reaction, all those years ago, when he saw the bloody Tanto of his brother leaving the chest of his father.

"_Tch. Of course dobe. Like I would ever leave your side again, usuratonkachi."_

He could almost see there the angry-red marks on Naruto's wrists, shadows of a memory he desperately tried to escape from. The last four years, and mend the last few months.

"Have I not seen this with my own eyes, I would have found amusing that someone made such farfetched announcement about you, Uchiha."

The monotone voice cut through the panicked-induced haze, letting him, somewhat, regain control over his breathing. And find focus once again on his sight, managing to lift his head enough to see the impassive face of Sabaku no Gaara looking down at him.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be, Kazekage-sama? Paperwork to sign? Genin to torture with D-ranks?"

"I didn't have knowledge you developed a sense of humor, Uchiha."

"It's bound to happen when you hang around Naruto for too long." Sasuke answered with a weak shrug, sitting on the ground, feeling slightly better now.

"I see…" The raven could swear he heard some mirth dancing on those words. But then again, it might have been his imagination.

Comfortable silence fell upon them after that. Sasuke focusing in regaining his bearings while Gaara seemed to be deep in thought about something. Until the raven felt good enough to leave that is. Erecting a wall of sand in front of him, not even once moving his gaze from its spot, the red head stopped him.

"You could have asked nicely, there's not much I can deny a Kage."

"Is it true? What Temari told me?" Gaara asked, undeterred by Sasuke's quip.

There was no need to say that they were talking about Naruto now.

"Apparently, yes. Our last… visitor further proves it, don't you think?"

"I'm still reluctant to admit it, even if the bond between them is clearly strong."

"What is it you refuse to admit? The fact that Naruto doesn't know who you are? Or that he has replaced us with someone else?"

"You misunderstand my words Uchiha. As long as Naruto is happy I have no qualms against whatever causes that happiness... as long as it benefits him. What I can't wrap my head about is, how easy it is for him to smile arround the person claiming to be his brother."

"You find hard to believe that Naruto can smile arround someone? You sure it's not jealously? Because last time I checked, Naruto was still a walking smile."

"There is no need to keep the façade up Uchiha. I've just seen you at the worst state, I'm sure, more than anyone else has ever seen you at so far. I know you understand what I meant."

The smug smirk slowly vanished from Sasuke's face, along with his shoulders droping a bit. A tired look took over his eyes. For a moment... Gaara saw the same face his father had after dealing with his rampages.

Then it was gone, and Sasuke spoke after releasing a small sigh, rubbing his eyes at the same time.

"He always used to wear his feelings on his sleeve, there for everyone to see. But not many knew that they were the ones he chose others to see. Even arround me, his claimed best-friend, he would always guard his deepest feelings. His smiles, apparently, were the best way to further bury them..."

"But, during the briefest moments I spent in the same room as him and his claimed brother, his eyes showed far more than what I saw the day he dissapeared... desperate for reaching you." The Kazekage finished. Giving a somewhat accusing glare at Sasuke, who reacted slightly bowing his head in shame, a hand unconciously reaching for his neck, where the sealed cursed mark could still be seen.

No matter how much the others would tell him that he was over that now, and that it doesn't matter since he had more than enough paid for that mistake. He would always blame himself. Because, had he not escaped that day in search for power from Orochimaru...

_"Y...you pro...mised Sa...suke... y...you left m...me a...lone a...again..."_

His breathing hitched again when, for a moment, he saw his hands stained with blood again. And the image of dull, azure eyes flashed in his mind, light slowly fading from them as life escaped. While more blood covered his hands, and a bloodied kunai fell to the floor...

"Uchiha, gather your thoughts! Don't let fear grip your mind! Snap out of it!" Two arms shaking him brought him back to the present, along with the comanding voice of their owner.

"I'm fine now.. Gaara. Thanks for bringing me back." He said, once again regaining focus. Giving a small smile and leading his hands to rest on the red-head's shoulders, like everytime he did when he comforted him.

Only to realize his mistake when sand wrapped firmly arround his wrists.

Sasuke felt like slapping himself. For a moment he felt back in war times, feeling crushed by the pressure of being Hokage, and the guilt of having the tittle that rightfully belonged to someone else. Along with the many other demons hunting him. And that very same red-head sitting next to him on a random bar, also talking about his worries and regrets, no longer a kage, but just another Shinobi under his comand.

But, of course, this one was not the same friend he had back then. This one was still weary of him, blaming him for Naruto's disappereance, lacking those in-battlefield moments of trust that forged their friendship...

"Sorry Kazekage-sama, I let myself get carried away by the moment."

The sand slowly let his wrists free, leaving bruises where their grip was.

"I can understand that reaction, I myself have felt that same way before... Know that, even if you have not earned my entire trust, Uchiha, I don't want any hostilities between us."

After a small nod from the raven, Gaara turned back to his village. But after having that small taste from his past, a good one, after all the shit he'd been through these last days, Sasuke felt the need to hold onto it, even if just a bit longer.

"Kazekage-sama... do you have some free time now?"

"Temari and Kankuro are taking care of my duties for the day. Stating that after the fight we just had I deserve some relaxation. So yes... why you ask?"

Sasuke would have laughted at the idea of making this question before, but now it felt like some kind of 'break for normalcy' to one of the few things he missed from the previous timeline.

"Would you mind joining me for a drink?"

* * *

The way to the bar was silent one, the people of Suna giving them odd stares. Never before seeing someone, besides his siblings, walking so combfortably next to their Kazekage.

They admired Gaara. He had proven himself no longer a threat to them, and showed more than once how deeply he cared for them. But still, old fears die hard.

It was also a bit funny how the bar went dead silent once the duo entered. Sasuke remembered they shared a bottle or two of a special Sake there a couple of times. So, ignoring the stunned looks directed to them, he made his way to a table. Sitting beside Gaara, he ordered a bottle of that sake he remembered along with two cups.

"I must state that I accepted your offer more out of curiosity, than desire to drink."

"Just humor me this time, Kazekage-sama. I've heard from Tsunade that a cup every now and then helps dealing with the stress of the hat."

"I wasn't aware you were in such good terms with Hokage-dono."

"I'm in good terms with many people you would be surprised hearing about."

_'Lee on top of them.'_ He thought with humor

"I just guess that the lack of Naruto created the need to interact with others. He managed to drag me back to the village after all... somewhat."

"It's quite the contrast I find in you now. When once, you wished more than nothing to pull him as far away from you as possible, now you talk about him with such fondness I find hard to believe in."

"There was a lot said during our fight." Sasuke revealed with a frown as the waiter put their order in the table, not telling wich fight he was talking about "Naruto, as blockheaded as always, never gave up trying to talk me into returning. And equally blockheaded I refused to listen words, too wrapped up in my little 'emo shell', like the dobe told me once." Then he chuckled, shaking his head, as he poured the beverage in both cups. "Never tell him I admitted that out loud, he would never let me live it down."

Gaara furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded slowly, accepting the cup Sasuke offered him.

"You may excuse my inexperience now, Uchiha, I have never drank liquor before."

"It's just sake, there's not too much to think about it, just down the cup and be done with it." He said, downing his cup without hesitation "And drop the formalities, just call me Sasuke. It feels weird being called by my surname after being arround Naruto for so much time... I even think I already miss him calling me _Teme_."

Truth be told, Sasuke really missed the familiarity between him and Gaara. Besides Naruto, he felt the red head was the only other person in the whole elemental nations he could really relate with.

"Very well... Sasuke..." Gaara then lifted the cup, and poured it's content on his mouth. Gulping it down with a grimace before coughing at the very unfamiliar burn it left down his throat.

The little sound that returned the bar after their arrival died down once more at this. Everyone scared shitless that their beloved Kazekage would lash out at the Konoha shinobi that made him choke on Sake.

Sasuke just shook his head, smirk plastered on his face, and refilled the cups once more.

"Was it as bad as you thought, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara coughed a couple more times before calming down and facing the raven as if nothing ever happened. One corner of his mouth slightly twitched upwards, when he saw another cup already waiting for him.

"I must state that this first impression of Sake was not the one I expected. But I can't say I disliked it, either. The sensation it left afterwards is... pleasant. I'm sure with another try I may be able to enjoy it properly."

Sasuke's smirk widened just a bit, more after hearing that. "Just make sure not to breath while you gulp it down, and you should be fine." He said before 'making a demonstration' by downing his own cup.

Gaara just nodded once and did as told. This time letting the beverage go down his throat way more smoothly. Just coughing a couple times afterwards, and now with a veritable smirk on his face.

It was just like the first time Sasuke shared a drink with him.

"Uchih- mmm... Sasuke, why did you-"

"We have the same eyes."

Gaara just furrowed his eyebrows hearing that.

"You once told me that, that we have the same eyes... the same look..."

"The Kazekage's eyes widened a fraction in recognition, before nodding slowly.

"Indeed, I said that once, when we first met, but why you bring that up now?"

"I agree with you, or at least used to, now it seems you have moved on, while I'm still trapped in the past."

"I only did what any other human being would have done, once I accepted my mistake that is. I see no impediment for you to do the same... I would even dare to say you are already working towards it."

"Maybe." He said simply with a weak shrug, while downing his cup, prompting Gaara to do the same.

Silence fell between the two after that. The bar slowly returning to it's usual loudness, seeing that no immediate doom would fall upon them if they dared distract them with their noise.

"You want to take something out of your chest, and considering that Naruto is currently... busy with his suposed brother, the only other person you trust enough to talk to is me."

It was not a question.

"You are not Kazekage for nothing." He said with a smirk, the sake forgotten for the moment. "At least I won't have to explain myself before I start with my whining."

"I don't know if it will bother you, but I'm highly unaccustomed to this... side of you."

"Can't blame you, Naruto is the only one who has seen me act this human. Besides him, my attitude towards others is.. semi-cordial at best."

"I can see that. But even then... you have been acting the same way arround Naruto."

"He is not Naruto." Sasuke said firmly "At least not Naruto Uzumaki... he has stated that before, more than enough times, and even if there's enough of my friend there to pass as him, there's also so much lacking..."

"He has dubbed himself as Naruto Dragneel now."

"And apparently he ended in some sort of different world... Can you believe that? Age regresed to five, and any trace of memory that linked him to Konoha, or the elemental nations, gone from his head."

"So, that's where this... _Natsu_ comes from?"

"Along with Lucy, and a whole bunch he's bound to bring here at some point in the future."

"I see... But what could have you two done, for such an... _incident_ to happen? A clash strong enough to rip open a pathway, to another world no less, and for Naruto to go through?"

"Actually... at the moment we both weren't in our right minds. The curse seal was activated at it's top level, and Naruto was with a one tailed chakra cloak, I'm sure his actions were heavily influenced by the fox, as mine were by the seal."

A heavy sigh escaped his mouth when the memory returned. Of course this was not the way it happened, not how Naruto dissapeared, but so far everyone thought he just vanished after their encounter at the valley of end, Sasuke doing nothing to deny it, but also not comfirming it.

The dobe dissapeared like a hero, like the Hokage should have gone. Protecting his people, knowing he stood not chance of surviving, but once again Naruto showed him how weak he really was.

_"Don't worry Teme! It'll take just, like, some seconds to be ready, eh? I'm sure I can stall the fosil enough for you to make it to the other side. I'll jump in just after you, I still have to take that hat instead of you, remember?"_

Stupid reasuring grin, stupid foolishness, stupid Naruto for acting all hero-like...

"Our final clash was one of powers far greater than what we should have been commanding. Yokai bleed into Naruto's rasengan, while dark energy surrounded my chidori, and then we both jumped at each other, ready to finish things once and for all... you can guess what happened then."

"I remember." the redhead said with a small nod. "A great explosion in the direction in which Naruto ran after you, but I thought it was caused by one of the Otto-nin. So... that was what happened?"

Sasuke was about to, finally, confirm that version, to one of the closest friends Naruto had. But his voice was caught in his throat just before any words left it... Could he really do it? It was so easy, just a 'yes'. That was all it would take, and then he would be able to finally let the past behind, pretend it never happened arround others, stop punishing himself, because he would close the circle.

He would have never defected the village to join Orochimaru. Never killed his brother, only to aid Akatsuki. And the war would have never happened, and he wouldn't become Hokage... It really was so tempting, at least for him, to have a slate clean and pretend that nothing ever happened.

But then the reason why he had never done such thing returned to his mind.

If he did that, then Naruto would also dissapear.

The only thing that kept Naruto alive at the moment.. _their _Naruto –the idiot who became a hero to the village, who dragged his sorry ass back to Konoha after throwing his life away in the foolish quest of looking for him, who wished nothing else than the well-being of his friends, who never turned his back to them, even after all they did to him... even after all _he_ did to him...– was the memory of it.

If he even muttered that 'yes' right now, he would be burying his friend, and trading him just for his teammate.

_(Play song: Vector to the Heavens - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 OST Extended)_

"Our strenght was siphoned from us after that final attack, both managing to hit each other somehow, him easily breaking almost every bone in my arm... and me piercing his chest, just over his heart."

He didn't pay atention to the way Gaara's eyes widened at that. Words just jumped out of his mouth without him being totally aware of it, feeling that the memory that kept Naruto should be passed on... _needed to be passed on,_ and who better than Naruto's second best friend?

Damned be their secret, there was a chance Naruto would not remember, and then the only thing to remember him would be memories, and he would not let Naruto become an unsung hero.

He deserved every bit of admiration after all that he went through, and Sasuke was not ashamed of admitting that. The dobe had done much for him to feel shame at this point.

"He fell unconcious, holding on the thread of life... I could have finished him at that moment, but I did nothing. Maybe even then I already regretted all I was about to do, and guilt compelled me to spare his life, but I was too tired to be really aware at the moment."

Now he lifted his head, locking eyes with Gaara, silently telling him to just listen.

"After that I left, leaving him there, dying, as I made my way to gain power from Orochimaru."

Silence once again fell between both, only this time it was more tense. Sasuke continued undeterred, pouring both one more cup.

"Years went by after that. Naruto hell bent in bringing me back to the village, just as I was hell bent on killing Itachi... Nothing was of much relevance during that time, before we both kind of acomplished our goals. I killed my brother, while Naruto became the hero of Konoha... the details would take far much time to explain, and it's not like that even happened here, but the point is made."

His cup was empty once again, the beverage already gone down his throat, more being poured into the recipient once again.

"Then came the war, along with truths that were suposed to never be known... like Naruto being the son of the Yondaime Hokage, or Itachi not being the real responsible of the murder of my whole clan, but being just the blade weilded by others... Imagine my reaction when it was revealed to me that it was the elders of the village, along with the Sandaime, who gave Itachi that order to stop a coup from happening,. And that I was the lone survivor because my brother loved me too much to even dare rise his blade against me."

A humourless chuckle escaped from his throat before another cup was downed. Gaara silently listening the tale, not really sure of what to make out of it.

"I then got a new goal. To destroy the leaf, to avenge the sacrifice of my brother, because at the moment, in my eyes, the peace of the village was built upon the corpses of my family and the stained name of Itachi. A series of events that followed my desision ended in another confrontation between me and Naruto. That time there was no pity, or guilt, or anything in my heart besides dark, cold, empty hate... but he was still ready to welcome me back, if I just grabed his hand and let him take me back to the village."

_"You know... our places could have been reversed..."_

_"The next time we fight, Sasuke, we both will die."_

"We both took different paths that day, but Naruto never gave up on me... He also knew the truth about Itachi at that moment. And he saw things from my perspective, but he also saw things from my brother's eyes, understanding what he did, and why he did it, far better than me. Maybe because he had done something similar already, a selfless sacrifice for the village, something he was not meant to do, recieving only hate as payment."

_"Can't you see it Teme!? Your brother gave away his life for both you and the village!"_

_"You think I don't know that already!?"_

_"Then why!? Why are you trying to destroy it!?"_

_"Konoha doesn't deserve that sacrifice. That damned village wasn't worth the death of my brother!"_

_"Then what will you do? Piss on your brother's will and burn down to ashes everything he lived for? Don't you love him?"_

_"Don't you DARE tell me I didn't loved my brother! He was my everything!"_

_"Then why!? Tell me damn it! WHY!?"_

_"I KILLED HIM NARUTO! I KILLED MY OWN BROTHER! HE PRACTICALLY TOSSED HIMSELF AT MY BLADE, ALL FOR THAT VILLAGE!"_

_"Sasuke..."_

_"Shut up! You don't know the pain I'm feeling... you can't even phantom the gief of being the executoner of your savior."_

_..._

_"Leave, I have nothing against you, I would even invite you to help me burn down the village. But I know you won't, so I'll just tell you to stay out of my way."_

_"You are wrong Sasuke."_

_..._

_"You are wrong, because... because I do know about your pain."_

_"You know nothing, you will never know-"_

_"NO! Now it's MY turn to speak! I do know about your pain, Sasuke. Because, you know what? It's because of me that my parents are dead..."_

_"Lying won't take you anywhere Naruto, you don't even know who are your parents."_

_"I do know, 'ttebayo! They loved me! They loved both me and the village so much... "_

_"Then, do tell please and solve this puzzle, who are your parents, and why you say they died because of you?"_

_"My father was the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze. And my mother was Kushina Uzumaki, the Akai Chishio no Habanero... They... they both died the day I was born, protecting the village and me from Kyuubi, making me it's Jinchuuriki. Hoping that the village would see me as its hero... we both know what really happened."_

_..._

_"You don't think the idea crossed my head? To make them pay for desecrating my father's will? But I know he would not be happy with that, and I also know they don't know better. So it's not really their fault... if you want someone to pay, then you should focus on the real one responsible. It was Danzo who caused all this, along with Madara, not the village!"_

_"You have no idea what you're-" _

_"I know what I'm talking about 'ttebayo! They died because they trusted me! They willingly gave their lifes away for the village, believing that I would protect it with the power they sealed in me! Just like Itachi... he believed you would protect the village, and for that he gave away his life. Would you betray him like that? Would you spit on his will after all he did for you, by destroying the village he trusted you would protect?"_

_..._

_"Sasuke?"_

_"... Good bye Naruto."_

_"Sasuke..."_

_"_Naruto's words reached me that day, even if I was not aware then. They kept nagging at the back of my mind, making me falter on the path I was walking. Doubts rose within me, if what he said was true, if I was really making things worse by going on with my revenge. But it was all I had left, no one else gave a damn about me after all I did. So, even if I decided to no longer go along with it, what else could I do?"

_"Sasuke, please. It's getting harder every time to keep Baa-chan from sending Oinin Butai after you, come back to the village."_

_"What good would that make? Even if I surrendered myself, do you think they would really accept me in just like that? After all I did?"_

_"They better, you're my best friend. And I trust that if you return it is because you will no longer be a threat to the village, and that you decided to do what your brother wished for you. So if they want me back, they will let you back."_

_"Would you risk becoming a missing-nin just for me?"_

_"We are all shinobi now, village afiliations are mere formalities right now... Besides, this whole war was just to protect me and Bee-no-occhan, so it doesn't really matter."_

_"And what about being Hokage?"_

_"W-well... If I can't even bring a friend back, then I would be a shitty Hokage anyway, right?"_

_"Naruto..."_

"It's funny, how with that silly argument the dobe finally convinced me to return... He always had a way with words when it came to turning enemies into allies. My return took the village by surprise, heck, it took the whole Shinobi alliance by surprise! But Naruto would never leave my side. Every time a glare was directed in my direction, a glare would be his answer. Whenever he heard whispers arround us, he would call _'shut the hell up!'_ and fix the problem... he... he was always by my side..."

_"... and then you should also try the teriyaki on the restaurant near the general store, it has, like, the second best flavor in the whole village! Well, first will allways be Ichikaru's ramen, dattebayo."_

_"Shouldn't you be spending your time somewhere else, dobe? I heard Sakura and... Sai, that's his name right?, were looking for you. Something about not spending enough team-bonding time..."_

_"But Sasukeeeeeeee, I wanna make up for the lost time! There's so much that has changed in the village since you left... Why do you want to get rid of me, huh? Huh?"_

_"It's not... look Naruto, I appreciate all you're doing for me, I really do, but I can't stand seeing you distancing yourself from others just because nobody else want to hang out with me... I've spent alone enough time to be comfortable like that, besides, I can always visit Juugo and Karin at the hospital. Last time Juugo was quite happy that Tsunade managed to keep his outbursts in check with some special serum she came up along with Sakura..." _

_"I've also spent a long part of my life alone, remember Sasuke? That's why I don't want to let you alone again, because I know what loneliness do to others, especially you, so you will have to deal with me through all the probatory time left for you!"_

_"And that is..."_

_"Uhhh... like... two more months?"_

_"Ugh.. Then, at least, respect my personal space."_

_"Sasuke is so mean..."_

_"Fine, fine... Where is that place you were talking about?"_

_"Yatta! Follow me Teme! Prepare yourself to enjoy one of the best dishes you'll ever eat. Besides Ramen, because it is, like, a mix between..."_

"Things went good for some time, my probatory time ended. With me being allowed back in the ranks of the village, and the rest of my graduating class reluctantly allowed me back in their social circle, mostly because they missed Naruto, I'm sure. But it was good nonetheless... but everything started going south since the invasion in Suna."

_"Naruto? What are you- Why are you crying?! Come in, make yourself comfortable."_

...

"_Want some tea?"_

"_Y-yes, p-please."_

_"Here, now tell me, what's going on?"_

_"T-they are... I-Iruka-sensei... M-Moegui... they a-are..."_

_"Naruto, just calm down. Deep breaths, in, out, in, out... good, now, tell me what happened, what is wrong with Iruka and that girl?"_

_"They- They are... they are dead Sasuke... Iruka-sensei and Moegui are dead... Suna was invaded and they were on guard duty inside the village... Sasuke... Iruka-sensei is dead... HE IS DEAD!"_

"He refused to leave my apartment for days. Spending the mornings staring lifelessly to a random spot of the room, mumbling things to himself, or crying himself to sleep over my shoulder, just to repeat the cycle the next day. But one day he just bounced back, like some switch being flipped inside him, he was his loud and annoying normal self... I convinced myself that he was just being himself, getting tired of being down for so much time. But then again, I guess I didn't knew my best friend as much as I thought."

Another cup was down, then refilled before Sasuke continued.

"Then came many other blows, and he would always seek comfort from me. And I never refused him my shoulder to cry over, or my atention to hear what he had to say... maybe that was my mistake, making him too dependant on me..."

_"Sasuke... they are all leaving me alone... they are all hurting me... They are my friends Sasuke, why are they doing this to me?"_

_"You will never do something like that to me, right Sasuke?"_

_"You'll be by my side forever, right?"_

"_Tch. Of course dobe. Like I would ever leave your side again, usuratonkachi."_

_"_Guess what, it was because of me that he broke even more... twice. The first time wasn't entirely my fault, and he understood that, but still... _He_ was suposed to become Hokage, not me! Why they had to force me into stealing his rightful place?"

_"Naruto, I'm sorry... I'm really, really sorry... I-I didn't... the council decided-"_

_"Calm down Sasuke, I know you would never do somethig like that willingly. You promised you would not be like the rest, that you would not leave me alone. But it still hurts... Well, no sense crying over it anymore, so you better do a damn good job as Hokage then! If I'll have to surpass you, then you better do your best, because I will not take less from my rival!"_

_"Hn... as you wish... Naruto."_

"Things seemed to pick up a bit after that, the tittle took quite a lot of my time. Naruto could not spend as much time as he used to with me, but found in Hinata just what he needed, someone to look for as more than just a friend... I always thought they were meant for each other, even if they were total opposites. One loud, brash and obnoxious, the other shy, introverted and socially awkward, but both kind and good-hearted. But I think destiny had some kind of weird fixation in screwing everything that was good for Naruto... and that time it also included me into its plot."

_"S-Sasuke?"_

_"What is it Naruto?"_

_"C-Can we t-talk for a bit?"_

_"Sorry, but I can't right now. The Raikage wants all these informs revised and signed for tomorrow, and I'm not even halfway there."_

_"B-but maybe, j-just for a second..."_

_"Naruto, you don't know how tedious and boring this is, but it has to be done... The Hokage has to do this... While I'm wearing this robes and this damned hat I can't deal with anything else besides seeing that this war has a chance to be won... We can talk later if you wish, but not right now."_

_"O-ok, I'll l-leave then, I-I won't b-bother you anymore... I won't bother anyone else anymore... bye Sasuke..."_

_"Please, don't be like that Naruto. You know it's not that I don't care about-... and of course he's already gone... Damn, now I'll have to look for Hinata to calm him down... maybe some ramen too? That should-"_

_"Sasuke! Have you seen Naruto!?"_

_"Hello Sakura, and yes, he just left the office a few seconds ago. Why?"_

_"Damn it! We need to find him fast before he does something stupid."_

_"You're starting to worry me, what happened with Naruto?"_

_"That fool Hinata went and told him that she was sorry because she realized, when Naruto could not reach her in time during a fight and Kiba did, that for whom she really had feelings was Kiba... How that even makes sense for her I have not the slightest idea! But then Naruto left faster than anyone had ever seen him escape, heartbroken, and with this dead look that got everyone worried."_

_"Shit! Sakura, please, take care of the office! I might know where to find him, but with what he said when he left the office he might actually do something to himself..."_

"And indeed, I found Naruto on his appartment. Pale, lying on the floor of his bathroom, in the pool of his own blood. Probably going in shock from the blood loss... A kunai still on his hand, dripping blood from it's edge... and two deep wounds open in each wrist, leaking blood but already closing, thanks to the fox obviously."

He downed several cups of sake after saying that. But from the look on his face it seemed he wasn't finished yet, and was trying to steel his resolve to go through that last part. Deciding that it wasn't enough, he took a swig from the bottle itself, before placing it back on the table and locking gazes with Gaara once more.

This time his eyes looked desperate.

"And then, in front of my eyes, still shaking, weakly he directed the hand with the kunai towards the already healing wrist, and without even flinching he opened the wound once again, letting out a relieved sigh after doing it."

_"Naruto! What the fuck are you doing!"_

_"L...lea...ve... me... a...alo...ne, Sa... suke."_

_"What are you talking about!? Leave you alone!? In this state!? Why would you do this to yourself!? Don't you want to be Hokage anymore?"_

_"Y...you pro...mised Sa...suke... y...you left m...me a...lone a...again..."_

His surroundings were blurring once again, the smell of so much blood in the tiny space overwhelming his sences. The dull azure eyes, rapidly losing focus, the words that hurting worse than any jutsu, kunai, sword or anything ever could... His mind spinned, panic overpowering any rational thought. He needed to get Naruto to a medic! He needed help! But his arms and legs were locked on their places, unable to move.

He did it.

He finally broke Naruto, for good.

Two arms shook him violently, forcing him to face forward again, and for a moment he saw dull azure eyes again. Accusing him, blaming him, haunting him like some twisted parody of the clear, full of life, eyes of his best friend. But then they faded to dull green, and the relief of knowing that he was out of the nightmare, along with the alcohol he had already consumed, was too much for him.

The last whisper of words that came from his lips, before conciousness left him, remained hanging in the air. Intangible and unheard by the one it was actually meant for.

_"I'm so sorry, Naruto."_

_(End Song)_

* * *

Awareness slowly returned to Sasuke, him not really sure of how much time had passed since his black out, but remembering all too well the reason for it.

So, he spilled the beans... To Gaara of all people, huh?

He certainly didn't regret doing it, even if he knew normally he wouldn't do something so impulsive, but he could tell Tsunade would be royally pissed off once word of this reached her ears. Along with Sakura... Lee would be shouting stuff about how unyouthfull his decision was. While Shikamaru and Kakashi would also be somewhat bothered by it, but would not make a big fuzz of it. Maybe even understand his position once he explained the situation, and would think about how to work with this new developement.

Hinata would avoid Gaara like the plague. Feeling more ashamed than the others for what she did to Naruto, and him...

_'Well, me...'_

"I see you are already awake Sasuke." The monotone voice droned next to him, surprising him a bit.

"Kazekage-sama, you shouldn't have stayed here with me. The last thing I would like would be to become a nuisance to you."

"Don't worry, it has only been a couple of hours since you passed out... Naruto was here, along with Natsu. They both seemed quite worried about you when they saw you unconscious."

"Naruto I can understand. He never stopped caring for friends, even now that he returned. But.. Natsu? I barely exchanged words with him on our way here."

"He said, and I quote, _Lil' bro told me he is.. like, one of his best friends in this world, even if he is kind of a bastard. So if he deems him worthy of being a friend, then he is also my friend... Besides that, he looks like the ice princess, so it will be fun to annoy him."_

"I see..."

"They both are of very similar character Sasuke, I can tell that from the conversation we had. And I feel quite fortunate myself, to be considered a friend by both of them, Naruto and Natsu... Maybe you should too, even if you will find their interactions quite... unique."

"Ugh, knowing Naruto it means troublesome."

"Nara has been rubbing on you."

"This is nothing, you would be surprised how much influence he had on Temari, and vice-versa. It was actually funny to see Shikamaru trying to make dinner for her, while she took a nap... I'll never understand what she did to convince him."

"About that, what you... revealed to me..."

"It's up to you if you wish to believe me, or not. I really needed to take that off from my head, seeing Naruto hugging Natsu so desperately, asking him not lo leave him alone... It brought up back that memory. Sorry if I forced you in an awkward position."

"None of that Sasuke, I... I actually believe you."

"You do?"

"Indeed, it would clear some doubts that have been plaguing my mind for some time now. Like how you prevented that naval attack linked to the stone of Gelel that man, Haido, was so desperately looking for. Or the incidents in the land of snow and moon country... or who were the sleeping agents infiltrated in my council..."

Silence fell between the two after that, neither of them sure about what to say next. On one side, Gaara knew he had been told the truth. That, what Sasuke told him were not some fabricated lies of deception... There had been far too much emotion in the eyes of the usually stoic Uchiha, the kind of emotion that is imposible to fake, for that. But that also generated so many other questions...

On the other side, Sasuke felt uneasiness creeping up at his person. True, spilling his guts out to Gaara felt like lifting the Hokage monument from his shoulders, his face carving included. But even if the catharsis was good to his soul, his mind was off the reel, frantically thinking on what to say now that the cat was out the bag and another person was included in the time-traveling loop. What would the Kazekage do? Would he willingly cooperate with their plans? Or would he choose to stay out of it?

"I... would like to know how."

"Hmm? How what?"

"How you managed to make it back, and how Naruto was lost. The truth this time ...How dire the situation became to force you take such decision."

Sasuke closed his eyes, rubbing them with his fingers while letting a long sigh.

"You really want to know?"

"I do. All you said was something about a war, so I would like to try, at the very least, to avoid it."

"Believe me, we're all aiming for that... Very well then. To be blunt and to the point, the thing is that Madara Uchiha did not really die at his last battle with Shodaime Hokage. And before he finally died, he found some idiot to do his bidding. So, this guy's plan was to cast a world-wide genjutsu called Infinite Tsukuyomi, where everyone would live their dreamed life as an illusion. To do that, however, he needed to collect the nine bijuus to resurrect the Juubi, and become it's Jinchuuriki. Just like the Rikudo-sennin."

"There's were Akatsuki enters."

"Exactly. But at that point in time Madara was resurrected, and eight on the nine were already taken, so the war was pretty much lost... Until we stumbled upon something, or more like Naruto did. On his days of isolation he would devote all his time in the studies of seals. Counting with the information of Fuuinjutsu of the five great nations and his abuse of Kage-bunshin he tried to recreate, and even improve, the Yondaime's Hiraishin no jutsu... but instead found that with some modifications in the intent of the seal we could use the time-space nature of it to place the destination of the marker at any time in history, as long as there was another seal similar to the one we were using."

"But wouldn't the destination seal be necessary to be equal to the one you were using?"

"If we planned to return, yes, but the idea of this was not to return, but to change, so a one-way travel was all we needed. It could only hold eight people, so the remaining members of the Shinobi Alliance chose Lee, Sakura, Hinata, Shikamaru, Kakashi, Tsunade, Naruto and me to go back. The rest would fight to buy us time, even though there was not much they could do against the power of eight bijuus combined. True enough, their efforts proved to not be enough. The seal was not ready yet and Madara was practically banging our door. So the idiot did what me, as Hokage, should have done."

Again silence, there was no need to explain much after that.

"Don't think I hold any grudge against you after all you have told me Sasuke. Nothing of that has happened here, and I know your regret is sincere... Just keep in mind that in the end, if you really do care about him, you will put Naruto's happiness before yours... I know I will."

"I hope I'll be able to..."

"Very well, Naruto asked me to inform him once you woke up." Gaara said getting up from his chair. "I'll take my leave now... this conversation never happened, and in that bar we were just discussing strategies in case Akatsuki attacks again. Is that alright with you?"

The raven nodded once, a grateful smile on his face.

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama."

"Please, drop the formalities." Gaara said from the door, already stepping outside, before turning his head sideways and giving him a small smirk. "Just call me Gaara." And with that he was gone, leaving behind an slightly stunned Sasuke.

"As you wish, Gaara." His tense frame finally relaxed as he rested his head once again in the pillow. Waiting for the energy storm that would surely be Naruto and Natsu, but for once not minding dealing with it, as tiresome as it could be.

"Maybe." He muttered to himself. "Maybe it's time for me, too, to move on... my own brother is still out there after all."

And with that thought he closed his eyes, feeling at peace for the first time in many, many years.

* * *

Glossary (Just the couple ones that are unusual)

_Akai Chishio no Habanero - Red Hot Habanero_

_Oinin Butai - Hunter-nin Corps_


	14. The ninja, the mage

**(A/N): Sorry, sorry for the so-long-time-between-updates I'm taking, but I can't help it! My life's just too hectic to deal with T.T**

**The last time I uploaded in this story was... last year? Wow, that's sure a lot of time... Jarvis is not even with me here today! The lazy bastard. Anyway, this chapter is waaaaay too short compared to my usual uploads, I know, but this was all I could milk from the meager time I have free to work on this, besides one of the meaniest writter's block I've had in this fic, also working on my Kingdom Hearts fiction, which I'm quite proud of, well, you can tell I've not been in the top of my game for this one, BUT that doesn't means that this is a mediocre chapter, I've worked as hard as I always do here, it's just... shorter.**

**========== IMPORTANT NOTE HERE! MUST READ! ==========**

**This chapter is placed right before the last upload, ergo, the previous uploaded chapter, right after one of Deidara's bombs detonated on Naruto's head... no, he's not dead.**

**===== End of important note, you can skip to the chapter if you wish now =====**

**Here you'll see a meeting that was not meant to happen, and this really took out a lot of me to make it work... I know it must still have a lot of room to improve, but I didn't wished to keep you waiting for even more time, and this was decent enough by my standards... I still need a beta though... if anyone wants to help me improve this, please send me a PM, I really need the help, and I'll really apreciate it.**

**On a side note, if you're curious about this crazy author, check my profile. I've re-worked it enough that it's now easier to read and understand... I know my previous work was as tedious as watching a yarn documentary, so now it should be better... anything would be better that my previous profile... Oh, there will also be a part where I'll put the posible date of my next uploads, so there's another reason for you to check it :D**

**Song that inspired this chapter: The Last Amazing Grays - Sonata Arctica**

**Song I listened to while writing this: 30 de Marzo - Rodrigo y Gabriela**

**The next chapter will also take a while to be up, so please bear this with me, for I'm really milking my free time for all its worth to work on this fic and my other one on the Kingdom Hearts fandom. If you like Kingdom Hearts, then go check that one, aparently it's worth the time spent.**

**One more thing, if the song for this chapter ends before you finish reading, just replay it ok? That one was the only one I could find for that part... and it was short, so... that's that.**

**Well, with nothing else to say... ON WITH THE STORY! :D (Like always, I own nothing besides the original plot)**

* * *

"_"I'm me", he says. It must be nice, being real. A fake like me could never get away with saying that."_

_Riku replica - Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories_

* * *

Chapter 11: The ninja, the mage

All he could see around him was darkness. Pitch black abyss of nothing besides _black_ as far as he could tell… it was like he had his eyelids closed, but he was hundred percent sure his eyes were wide open!

To make things even more annoying, he could not tell how he got to that place… or even what he was doing before he was sent there.

Now that he really thought about it… what was his name?

"_NARUTO!"_

"I know that name… isn't… isn't that one… mine? But who is calling it? Everything feels so… strange, so distant… why can't I remember?"

He was obviously asking that to himself, not really expecting an answer, so his scared shriek was justified when another voice piped in.

"You can't remember because we're here to forget… at least that's the idea, so I guess that's your answer. Never got too technical about this, really… anyway, by how you ended here I guess you are needed out there, so let's try to make this fast, ok?"

"Who are you? How can you read my mind?"

"I can read it because, at least for the moment, it is my mind too, ya' know."

"Your- wha-?"

"Baka, I'm Naruto… and I've just called myself an idiot. I feel like a Kage-Bunshin now."

"No way your name is Naruto, I am Naruto!"

"You are Naruto too! It's just- Gah! Have I really turned into this? No, wait, surely this is how everyone used to see me as when I was a kid…"

"Start making sense! I'll burn down this whole place if you don't come out!"

"No need, let's just turn on the lights."

"Turn- Whaaaaa! My eyes! My- nah, I'm fine now."

"I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea at all."

"There you are! Now start-"

"See something familiar?"

"-Gasp- That's the jacket I gave Natsu! Where you- Wait, I can remember now! Yahoooo!"

"-sigh- And of course he would totally ignore the fact that we are identical looking. I feel like dealing with Ero-Sennin again."

"Oh, yeah, why you look just like me?"

"I'm sure Sasuke is having a field day with you… Where the hell did the jutsu sent me that I ended like this?"

"Hey! Stop ignoring me and answer or else- the hell?! Why I can't use magic?"

"Because we're not here to fight –ttebayo! Let's try this one more time and see if you can figure things out by yourself. Your name is…?"

"Uh? Naruto Dragneel, why?"

"Well, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and we look, and sound, exactly the same! Still nothing?"

"-Gasp- You're Uzumaki!"

"Damn, you really are like Ero-sennin… -sigh- at least now-"

"Hey, I finally found you! Everyone in the village is worried sick! Where have you been?"

"Never mind"

"Let's go! You can tell them you're fine, and then I can take you with me back to Earthland! The guys there will-"

"Don't you remember the moment I said this is _also my mind?_ Kami, not even I was this slow, was I?"

"Gah! I can't understand a word of what you're saying! Can you start making sense?!"

"Just come here and touch the damned jacket, then you'll understand… I hope"

"But-"

"JUST TOUCH IT!"

"Fine, fine… geez"

* * *

"… just… a bit… more…"

"Gaki!"

"Ahhh! Damn it ero-sennin, stop doing that! I almost had it that time!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You've been tinkering with the Rasengan the whole day, give it a rest already."

"I would if you really taught me something!"

"Let's see, your chakra control was abysmal, you had no Taijutsu formal training, knew next to nothing about the world outside the village, your aim needed work, your survival skills-"

"Fine, fine, I get it… stupid pervert."

"I heard that gaki! And here I had gone out of my way to get you a present. Is that the way to thank your sensei?"

"A… present?"

"Here, catch. Open it first, thank me later."

"T-these are… new clothes…"

"You look like a rag doll in your current ones. Never say I don't care for my- oooffff!"

"T-thank you Ero-sennin, they're perfect… they even have orange on them!"

"There, there Naruto. We can't have the student of the great Toad Sage looking like a beggar, can we? Besides, I've had you around in orange enough time that seeing you in other color now would be just wrong. At least now you won't look like a walking practice target."

_-grumble, gurgle-_

"-Sigh- Let's go get something to eat in town. Thank that today I feel generous."

"Yatta! Ramen, here I come! Ramenramenramenramenramenramen…"

* * *

"Do you remember that day now?"

"T-that was the day Ero-jiji gave me that jacket… but I've had it ever since…"

"Ever since you met Kurama?"

"Yeah…"

* * *

"Hey kid, have you seen- kit?"

"W-who are you? –sob- Dun harm me pwease!"

"Kit! Don't- damn it. Kit! Don't run! I just want to ask you something!"

"You wan to harm me! –sob- Like the meanies fwom my dweam!"

"I don't want to harm you! If anything I want to help you! Even if I hoped you would help me…"

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now stop crying and- How the hell you got on that tree?"

"I was running, but jumped and I was here… I'm scawed, is too tall here."

"Just stay there, I'll get you down… now let's put these things to work and see if I can carry you too."

"Whoa! You can fly!"

"I've been chasing you for- and you just- Know what? Never mind, just hang on, we'll be in ground in a moment."

"-Giggle- Weeee!"

"Glad one of us is enjoying this, me being the size of a cub is not helping _my_ mood."

"Hehehe, thanks mister."

"At least there's some respect now… Are you fine now? Will you answer my questions?"

"Yup!"

"Fine… Your name is Naruto?"

"Yeah!"

"How old are you?"

"Uhhh… five!"

"The number in your hand is three."

"Like dis?"

"That's four…"

"Now?"

"-Chuckles- Yeah, that's five, good work kit."

"Yay! I'm integiwent!"

"…Whatever you say. Now, can you remember how you ended here?"

"I… I dun… -sob- I…"

"Hey, hey, shhh. I get you're lost; guess what, I'm lost too! Do you see me crying?"

"-Sob- N-no…"

"Then don't cry and answer me, or are you not brave?"

"What –snif- bwave?"

"Nevermind… I forgot your level of education at that age- Well, will you answer me?"

"Yeah…"

"So, how you ended here?"

"I dun… -snif- I dun know… I had a bad dweam wit meanies, an… -snif- an den I was here."

"… great, lost in an unknown place, with a brat version of the kit, and the size of a bunny. At least now I'm out of the seal so we're not totally hopeless, so that's something…"

"Ehhh… mister?"

"Yeah kit?"

"It's hot here."

"Then unzip that jacket, that should help."

"Uhhh…"

"Ugh, let me- there, better now?"

"Yeah, thanks mister."

"Don't thank me yet, and cut that 'mister' thing, it's weird coming from you. My name is Kurama."

"Kuwama? Dat's a wird name."

"Says the fishcake kid… anyway, start moving Kit."

"Uhhh… where?"

"You want to stay here alone, in the open, while I hunt something to eat? That's just if you want me to."

"You will help me?"

"And I thought you used to be slow… Yes, I will. Now start moving before I change my mind."

"Thanks!" And the small, innocent blonde kid hug-tackled the flying fox, beaming in such a way that would have melted the heart of any other being besides him.

"Gah! No hugs kit! No hugs!"

"Sowy mist- Kuwama."

"Just don't do that again. Let's go."

"Ok"

* * *

"So that's how it started… You know? I'm a bit jealous Kurama actually cared for you ever since you met him, but I'm still happy that he found it in himself to change for the better."

"Wow, you're right; it _does_ feel like talking to a kage Bunshin…"

"So you finally realized it?"

"Yeah, sorry 'bout earlier, it's just so… strange…"

"Ino developed some sort of failsafe jutsu in case she was captured, and then taught it to us. I just changed it a bit to fit the current need…"

"B-but… Everyone's worried sick for you, and if you're me then-"

"No, I'm not you. Once you _were _Naruto Uzumaki, the blonde number one knuckleheaded and most unpredictable ninja of Konoha, but now that timeline is gone, along with everything that happened during it. Now it's your life, and apparently yours is a much better one."

"Can't you come out in a clone or something? You're here after all."

"I was never meant to wake up. It was you returning to the Elemental Nations what woke me up, and sincerely… I don't want to return."

"Why?"

"Can you show me a memory? A happy one… maybe a birthday?"

"Sure…"

* * *

"… happy birthday to you!"

A blonde kid, another one with pink hair, a small floating fox and a huge red-scaled dragon were gathered around a small cake lit with nine candles, singing the "happy birthday" song to, apparently, the blonde kid, if the face-splitting smile he had was any indicator.

"Now blow the candles and make a- No! You're supposed to blow the flames, not eat them Naruto!"

"For me it worked –shrug- the candles are now off, aren't they?"

"Not helping Igneel…"

"Hey! I also wanna know how birthday flames taste like!"

"You're supposed to eat the cake, not the candle flames Natsu! Whatever, ignore all my efforts researching the human custom for birthdays and fetching the cake with the candles."

"C'mon Kurama, don't be like that. You know I appreciate all you do for us, and I really liked this, I even made a wish and everything! It's just… I prefer to eat the flames, blowing them seems like such a waste."

"That's my son! –chuckle-"

"Thanks dad!"

"Igneel…"

"Hey dad, can I also have a birthday coke?"

"It's called birthday _cake_ Natsu, and you should ask that to Kurama, he's the one who got it for your brother"

"Kuramaaaa, can you-"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll also get one for you… that was the plan anyway. Time for gifts! Mine was the cake, so happy ninth birthday Naruto."

"Thanks Kuwama!"

"Kit…"

"Ok, ok, sorry. It's just fun to see how you get embarrassed when I call you like that."

"Ahem… I would call that cheating, but you're a fox after all."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing Kurama, nothing. My gift, for both of you since Natsu's birthday is not far from now, will be a new spell since you are almost done mastering the last one."

"Heh, I already have it mastered!"

"Really Nii-chan? Show me! Show me!"

"If you insist…" and then Natsu faced the wall of the cave they were in, focusing before rising his fist, which lit up in fire, and used it to punch the wall.

"_Karyuu no tekken!"_

…

…

"Owwwwww…"

"-Sigh- Like I said, almost done. Natsu, next time you want to show off, try a boulder, not the wall of the cave."

"Ok dad."

"Hehe, Nii-chan is funny."

"Natsu, your gift?"

"Wha- I also had to give him a gift?"

"Well, everyone else gave him one already… kind of…"

"You don't have one Nii-chan?"

"Of course I have one little bro! It's just… ehhh… I just have to-"

"Don't worry. Here, take this."

"Huh? Why are you giving me you jacket? I thought I had to give _you _the gift."

"Well… I also don't have one for your birthday, and sometimes I see you cold at night without anything covering your chest, so…"

"N-not true!"

"Natsu, don't feel bad admitting it. Your Dragon Slayer magic is not developed enough to keep you warm all the time yet. Now let your brother finish his idea."

"Ok dad."

"Well, my jacket would be my birthday gift for you, and your birthday gift for me would be you using it all the time… Maybe it's not the same clothes like we wanted to, but with my pants and shirt at least now we would match."

…

…

"Hey lil' bro, you know I love you, right?"

"And you know I also love you, right Nii-chan?"

"Lil' bro."

"Nii-chan."

"Lil' bro!"

"Nii-chan!"

And both kids rushed to each other, meeting in a tight hug, shouting each other name again and again, giving the other two inside the cave an... interesting sight.

"Pinch me if I'm dreaming Kurama, but is that a… volcano in eruption behind them?"

"This is touching, and so disturbingly familiar at the same time… at least they're not shouting about youth, or wearing tight green –shudder-"

"What are you mumbling about Kurama?"

"Past life traumas Igneel, past life traumas."

* * *

"H-how old you were there?"

"I was eight… are- are you crying?"

"I-it's nothing, just-"

"No, it's _not_ nothing. You tell me what's wrong or I'll stop this right now!"

"It's not- you're not… -sigh- It's j-just that I always wondered how a normal birthday would be… with a family, no matter how small. You actually got it, and even if it's sad for me… I'm happy for you."

"Oh… sorry."

"Don't be, thanks to that memory, and through you, I've just experienced it, and it was every bit as good as I ever imagined it. Thanks."

"Ok… but why you wished to see that memory?"

"To make you see why I wish to be gone. This was my eight year old birthday… one of the least sad I had in my childhood."

* * *

_-Knock, knock-_

"W-who is it?"

"It's just me Naruto-kun, you can open the door."

"Sandaime-jiji!"

"Oh, you're getting bigger each year Naruto-kun. How was your day?"

"Well… -sigh-"

"Sorry, I should have known better…"

"Don't worry jiji, at least there was no graffiti, or rotten food, at my door this year."

"Naruto… sorry if I can't come as much as I used to anymore, but my duties as Hokage come first…"

"Well, you better do a good job in them, because when I become Hokage I will surpass everything you have done!"

"Of course you will… look, I've brought you a couple of presents."

"A cake? Wow! Thanks jiji! And… a plushy?"

"It's a wallet Naruto, I thought you might like it. _Someone_ gave it to me a while ago, and told me to gift it to someone I thought deserved it."

"But… why a frog?"

"-chuckle- Stop making so many questions and look inside it."

"Coupons for Ichikaru ramen! Enough for a whole week!"

"… Those are meant to last for a month Naru-"

"Thanks a lot jiji!"

"You're welcome Naruto-kun, now how about we lit the candles?"

"Yatta! Take a chair to the table jiji, I'll go get the dishes."

"Fine, just hurry up a bit Naruto, there's-" But before the aged man could finish his sentence, a masked man suddenly appeared in front of him, kneeling and saying something to the old man, but Naruto could not hear anything he said to his surrogate grandfather. "I see… -sigh- They couldn't wait for a better moment, couldn't they? Fine, I'll be there immediately. Dismissed."

And just like he appeared, the man vanished the next second.

"Jiji?"

"I'm so sorry Naruto-kun, but I have to return to the office."

"Hokage work…"

"Yes, Hokage work."

"B-but the cake… your slice…"

"Save one big piece for me ok? I'll return as soon as I can and then we'll sing your Happy Birthday while eating the rest of the cake."

"B-but jiji… you said that you would stay with me today…"

The old man started to walk towards the door, his heart heavy, as he was forced to leave the small boy alone, knowing this would hurt him deeply.

"I'm- I'm so sorry Naruto-kun… so sorry… please forgive me."

_-click-_

And with that, the only person he hoped to spend some time the day of his birthday was gone, leaving him alone once again.

"You had to stay with me today jiji… it's not fair. The candles are melting on the cake… -sigh- It can't be wasted, right? …Happy birthday –snif- Naruto… -sob- Happy birthday to –sob- me…"

* * *

_(Play Song: Roxas - Kingdom Hearts Piano Collections)_

"Sandaime-jiji… how could I have forgotten him? A-and that birthday?"

"That's the point, _you_ never met Sandaime-jiji, and that one was not your birthday. Those were not your memories, they are _mine_, and the more time you spend in the Elemental Nations, surrounded by what made them mine once, the more they will mess with your own… the more they will try to overthrow your own."

"What?! But we have to stay here on the Elemental Nations for a while! And I don't want to forget about anyone… Natsu… Igneel… the guild guys… Lucy…"

"I know, and that's why I made this happen. You don't want to forget your life, and I don't want mine to return, so I'll willingly leave… if you allow me to."

"Huh?"

"-chuckle- to make things easier to understand, if you let me, I'll erase my memories from your head. You understand that?"

"You can do that? How?"

"Remember what I told you about Ino's technique? That's how."

"But then… wouldn't you…"

"Disappear? Well, that's the idea. I had good late years… mostly, but my life as a whole is something I wouldn't wish to others, specially you. Besides I would not be really gone, we both are Naruto, no matter where we come from, so there will always be something of me in everything you do."

"And your friends? What about them?"

"They… are part of why I don't want to return. They were not too _friendly_ in the end, at least most of them… yeah, it will hurt, leaving them behind, but they can do without me. Besides, they now are also your friends, so it's no big change there."

"So you want to just leave, without saying goodbye? That's something only a coward would do, and I don't remember you being a coward. I'm sure I'm not one."

"-sigh- you won't let it go, will you?"

"Nope, not until you tell them yourself."

"Fine, let's make a deal then. I come out one last time so I can say goodbye to the guys out there, and in exchange you won't make any questions about anything I do, or say, out there. _And_ you will also let me bring your brother."

"Wha-? How you know-?"

"I've been aware of everything ever since you landed here, including the status of your guild mates."

"But to bring him here you'll need-"

"Lots of energy? There's enough of Kurama's chakra inside you to make Konoha just a crater in the ground… again. I'm sure that should be enough. You may not remember how to use it, but for me it should be a walk in the park. Those are my conditions."

"But- won't there be a risk all that energy won't be enough?"

"You need a strong anchor to your own life while you stay here, because I can't take away all the memories at once… it wouldn't be nice for any of us, so Natsu and Lucy will have to do for now. There will always be a risk, just like me coming out can make the others try harder in making me get out, so I'm trying to level the field for us here … you accept?"

"You sure you will be able to bring him here without any problems?"

"As sure as I'll ever be."

"Hmmm… Will I remember you, or any of this, once you are done out there?"

"Stubborn to the end, huh? You got that from me and Kaa-chan… No. For you it will be like you were unconscious the whole time, even the part while I'll be out there."

"… Fine, deal."

"Don't feel bad, it's best this way… for everyone."

Both remained in silence for some more seconds, one reflecting in what he had just discovered, the other thinking what he would do once he had to face his old comrades.

It was the mage who broke the silence.

"So how we do this… fist bump?"

"-chuckle- Fist bump."

"Good bye Uzumaki."

"Good bye… and before I forget, Dragneel?"

"Uh?"

"You make a good other."

_(End Song)_


End file.
